286 HORSEMANSHIP. 



the rider sit easily upon his horse, and some kind 

 of covering, consisting of cloth or leather, (skins 

 or hides, perhaps,) was placed on the animaPs back. 

 These coverings, however, became afterwards ex- 

 tremely costly; * they were made to hang down on 

 each side of the horse, and were distinguished 

 among the G-reeks and Romans by various names. 

 After they became common, however, it was es- 

 teemed more manly to ride without them ; and 

 thus we find Varro boasting of having ridden bare- 

 backed when young. Xenophon also reproaches 

 the Persians with having placed as much clothes 

 under their seats, on their horses' backs, as they 

 had on their beds. It is certain that no coverings 

 to the horses'* backs were for a long time used in 

 war; and, according to Caesar, the old German 

 soldiers despised the cavalry of his country for 

 having recourse to such luxuries. In the time of 

 Alexander Severus, the Roman soldiers rode upon 

 very costly coverings, excepting at reviews, when 

 they were dispensed with, to show the condition of 

 their horses. But we should imagine we must look 

 to later times for the costly trappings of the horse. 

 In his description of the city of Constantinople, the 

 author of the Letters of the Turhhh Spy says, 

 " The next thing worthy of observation is the 

 Serayan, or house of equipages, where are all sorts 

 of trappings for horses, especially saddles of im- 

 mense cost and admirable workmanship. There 



* See Virgil, JEncid vii., 276 ; viii,, 552. Ovid, i\Ieiam., lib. viii., 

 33. Also Livy, lib. xxxi., cap. 7, who speaks of a man who dressed 

 his horse more elegantly than his wite. 



