144 Modern Riding and Horse Education 



monia, Massilia, and other adjacent tracts of the 

 same region," rode without reins in peace and war. 

 Livy the historian (born 59 b. c.) divides cavalry 

 into those with and those without the bridle, the 

 former being heavy horsemen. 



Bridles are now used with more understanding 

 than they have ever been. The " lupus " snaffle of 

 the Romans, made in imitation of the teeth of a wolf, 

 and the long-cheeked cruel bit of a later date, are 

 things of the past; they necessitated barbarous meth- 

 ods of horse training and riding. The introduc- 

 tion of reins is, however, responsible for the want of 

 perfect balance in many horsemen who have never 

 ridden without them. As Air. Tozer has recently 

 told us, some of the early instructors deliberately 

 advised novices to catch hold of the reins tightly in 

 order to keep their seat with greater ease. I think 

 these gentlemen performed a work of supererogation 

 in doing so, as the novice needs no telling to hold on 

 by the reins the moment he gets into difficulties ; the 

 most elementary laws of self-preservation direct 

 that he should. 



All teachers advocate quitting stirrups at some 

 stage, at least, of the course, in order to hasten the 



