140 XENOPHON ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



the commentators on Xenophon's work except 

 Courier, who will have none of it. He describes 

 the way in which the PoHsh and Austrian lancers 

 of his day, as well as the Cossacks, were in the 

 habit of mounting ; and doubtless this is very like 

 what Xenophon meant : '' lis saisissent de la main 

 gauche les renes et une poignee de crins, et 

 s'appuyant de la droite sur la pique, un peu 

 penchee vers la croupe du cheval, ils s'enlevent 

 tout d'un temps, en mettant la pied a I'^trier, et le 

 cavalier se trouve en selle la lance en main." 



42. (Page 41.) The Greeks had no saddles with 

 trees, nor the Romans until the fourth century, 

 so far as can be judged from works of art. They 

 rode either bareback or upon a cloth which was 

 fastened by a girth under the belly or about the 

 breast of the horse. In works of art the girths are 

 often omitted. 



43. (Page 42.) This statement seems to be 

 exactly the reverse of the truth ; for the horse in 

 starting to canter turns himself slightly across his 

 line of progress, in order to enable him to lead 

 with that leg which is advanced by this turn. 

 Hence to lead with the left, he turns his head to 

 the right and his croup to the left. Accordingly 

 there has been much discussion of this passage in 

 Xenophon, and various emendations of the text 

 have been proposed by modern editors. Her- 



