34 DRAGS. 



effectually stop the speed of horses as Mr. Tongue's 

 patent drag does that of carriages. I hear the same 

 talented gentleman has now invented a bridle that can 

 be made to stop horses much sooner than any welter 

 weight can ; and really when I see such attempts at 

 horsemanship as I do daily see, I consider it a most 

 useful addenda to such horsemen's set-out. As an 

 old coachman, I am quite clear that whoever con- 

 siders the safety of his bones, and still more the 

 comfort and well-doing of his horses, would always 

 use the drag to his carriage : and really it would be 

 charity to many horsemen as well as to fellow- 

 wayfarers to recommend the patent stopper as equally 

 indispensable. In truth there are some riders for 

 whose sakes I should Hke to lay the same inventive 

 genius under contribution to produce a man-drag 

 that should prevent them getting on a horse at all. 

 Great as unquestionably is the merit of his carriage 

 drag, let him but invent the man-drag, and he will 

 immortalise his name. 



Whether the observations I shall make respecting 

 the effects of weight be correct or erroneous, they 

 will certainly do some good if they call the attention 

 of those to the subject who have hitherto given it but 

 little consideration. In proof that there are many 

 such, I will venture to say, that among country 

 gentleman who constantly ride with hounds, unless 

 they have had a touch at racing, there is not one- 

 third of them who know what weight they really are : 

 numbers of them never got into a scale in their lives, 

 and those who have, have not done so for perhaps 

 years. Thus many, I am quite confident, who think 

 themselves 12st. are nearer 14st. 



In some proof of the little consideration given to 



