The Nech, the Hcad^ etc. 139 



style of riding alluded to here. Thev furnish its best 

 and m('St easily-formed light cavalries, heavy cavalry 

 having been originally the parent, and subsequentlv the 

 pupil, of the school or manege. But in the west of 

 Europe this nursery for light cavalry has long ceased to 

 exist. Perhaps the latest remnants of it were the Bor- 

 der-riders on the Scotch and English marches. Indeed, 

 the few civilian riders that were to be found in France, 

 Germany, Italy, Belgium, Holland, etc., till within 

 comparativel}' few years, were riding-masters' pupils 

 of one kind or another ; and it M'as only in the British 

 Islands that a numerous class of natural riders was to 

 be found. The Continental riders have had, therefore, 

 all more or less of a military or school tvpe. There 

 existed until recently only one general style of riding, 

 saddling, bitting, carriage and feeling among them 

 varying, however, very much as to correctness in dif- 

 ferent countries. Of late years, no doubt, a great 

 change has taken place in this respect, and what is 

 called English ?'idi??g has been more or less success- 

 fully imitated or caricatured in various parts of the 

 Continent. 



Now the English type of riding has been formed by 

 the national sports of racing and hunting, both of which 

 require vehement, straightforward riding in the first 

 instance, and onlv a certain amount of handiness or 

 dexterity in turning; and it is, therefore, neither desir- 

 able, nor indeed practicable, to give either the neck or 

 head of the horse anything like the same position that 

 other styles of riding admit of or require. Therefore the 

 system of bitting must be different to a certain extent. 



In fact, whenever it is possible, the jockey prefers 

 riding his horse with a snaffle, and the best hunting- 

 riders seem to be of the same opinion ; and when they 

 do use a curbed bit, it is most generally either as a sort 

 of reser\'e for particular emergencies, or in combination 



