272 HORSEMANSHIP. 



for he would then advance forward more rapidly 

 than his horse,) the importance of a steady seat 

 and a good hand is apparent, and accounts for some 

 men crossing a country on middling horses, quicker 

 and better than others do upon really good ones. 



Having spoken of overflown brooks, and being 

 aware of the many fatal disasters that have occurred 

 to sportsmen in water, and the narrow escapes of 

 drowning from crossing flooded rivers, by others, 

 within the last twenty years, we are surprised that 

 the exercise of swimming horses, in the summer 

 months, is not more generally resorted to. It was 

 practised by the ancients ; we find Alexander swim- 

 ming the Granicus with thirteen troops of horse. 

 But the horses should be practised in swimming as 

 well as their riders, or it would not avail the 

 sportsman so much, as we know some horses are 

 very much alarmed when they lose their legs in 

 water, and often turn themselves over. That the 

 act of swimming on horses is a most simple and 

 safe one to those who practise it, may be proved at 

 any of our watering places in the summer, where 

 boys swim them out to sea, two at a time, chang- 

 ing their seats from one to another with the great- 

 est ease. We observe they generally lean their 

 body forwards, so that the water gets under it, and 

 partly floats it, interfering as little as possible with 

 the horse's mouth ; at all events, never touching 

 the curb rein. When the sportsman or the traveller 

 has occasion, or is accidentally called upon, to swim 

 his horse through deep water, and the banks will 

 admit of it, he should enter it as gradually as pos- 



