RIDE. 



Similar evolutions were practifed by the ancient Romans. 

 The Turks ride with their flirrups fo (hort, that their knees 

 are almoft as much bent, as when they fit upon their hams 

 upon a fofa. Their faddles are as large and unwieldy as a 

 pack-faddle : they fallen and fecure them upon the horfe by 

 a large girth, which paffes over them, and prevents the 

 faddles from turning, which their great weight would other- 

 wife make them do. The bridles are generally gilt and 

 ornamented, but otherwife very clumfy and ill-made. The 

 Turks feldom ufe fpurs, or carry a whip or fwitch ; and 

 yet they have an abfolute command over their horfes, and 

 make them do whatever they pleafe. In riding, they ufe 

 only a ftick, about three feet in length, and of the fize of 

 a large cane. This they hold by the middle, and itrike the 

 horfe with it on his neck with either end, to diredt and 

 compel him to turn ; making them run at full fpeed, and 

 layino- them out fo rapidly, as almoit to make their bellies 

 touch the ground ; the riders, at the fame time, ftriking 

 their darts into a turban, or toffing them in the air, riding 

 after, and catching them before they fall to the ground. 

 Others, efpecially the Arabs belonging to the fultan, will 

 leap from one horfe to another, running at their utmoft 

 fpeed. Others will creep under the belly, and up to the 

 faddle again ; others will turn two or three times round the 

 horfe's neck, and others will ftand upright upan the faddle, 

 and turn their faces to the tail, the horfes all the time going 

 at their utmoft ftretch. 



The Perlians have great perfonal addrefs and activity on 

 horfeback. They play at " Mall" mounted on their horfes, 

 and ftrike the ball with certainty and furprifiug (kill. They 

 place alfo upon the top of a tree, or high pole, an apple, 

 as a mark to fhoot at with arrows. They fet off at full 

 fpeed, and when they are got beyond the mark, turn them- 

 felves round towards the croupe, draw their bows, and in 

 this pace, and this attitude, feldom fail to hit the apple. 

 The Tartars have, in all ages, been famous, under different 

 names, for their love of horfes, whofe fiefh they eat, drink- 

 ing the milk of the mares, and (kill in riding. It is a prac- 

 tice with them to tie the reins of their bridles to their girdles, 

 and by the motion of their bodies alone to govern and direft 

 their horfes ; pulling them into different attitudes, and 

 making them perform a variety of evolutions. By this 

 method they have their hands at liberty for the ufe of their 

 weapons, which they manage with a Ikill furpafling that ot 

 other nations. Some will hold their bows in the fame hand 

 in which they hold their bridles, and at the fame time draw 

 the bow, and guide their horfe with great addrefs, always 

 riding with their ilirrups very fhort, in order to collect 

 themfelves better, and be able to rife up, as it were, when 

 they are going to attack an enemy, and ilrike a blow. 



The venerable Bede fays, that the Englifh began to ufe 

 faddle -horfes about the year 631, when prelates and others 

 rode on horfeback, who till that time were accuftomed to 

 go on foot ; but that if, upon urgent occafions, they were 

 obliged to ride, they ufed mares only, in token of their 

 humility ; the mare not being fo full of pride or fpirit as 

 the horfe. In the reign of Edward III. the horfes called 

 " Dextrarii," correfponding to thofe that are now termed 

 managed horfes, or horfes drejfed and difciplined for war, 

 were held in the higheft ellimation, and appropriated to 

 military exercifes ; and upon common occafions, perfons of 

 rank and confideration always rode upon horfes of inferior 

 degree, dillinguifhed by the names of " Couriers, Amblers, 

 Palfreys, Hackneys, Nags, and Poneys," recommended by 

 their eafy paces and quiet temper. In feveral countries it 

 was a cuftom, rigoroufly obferved, that no knight of chi- 

 valry, or other gentleman, fhould ride upon a mare, it being 



thought difhonourable and vile. The mares were always 

 devoted to the cart, and all the ignoble fervices. The 

 Spaniards, Turks, and fome other nations, dill adhere to 

 this abfurd notion, upon all occafions. The Dextrarii 

 above-mentioned were called " magni equi," or great 

 horfes, being of the largeft fize, and intended to ferve in 

 war or for the exercife of the tournament ; and as thefe 

 great horfes were required to be drejfed or taught, that they 

 might perform their talks with readinefs and fidelity ; and as 

 it ie neceffary that the rider Ihould have knowledge and (kill 

 to guide his horfe, thofe perfons who profeffed the fcience 

 of arms were obliged to learn the art of managing their 

 horfes, in conformity to certain rules and principles ; and 

 hence came the expreffion of learning to " ride the great 

 horfe." 



After an ample review of the ftate of horfes in England, 

 Berenger takes occafion to diftribute them into two general 

 claffes, which may be arranged under two diitindt periods of 

 time. In the firlt era, as it was an univerfal cuftom for 

 horfemen to fight in armour, the burden was fo heavy, and 

 the fervice fo fevere, that none but large and jlout horfes were 

 equal to the talk. The practice of raifing fuch a breed of 

 horfes began about the time of Henry II., or fomevvhat 

 earlier, and continued till towards the end of the reign of 

 Elizabeth. About the reign of James, armour, being ren- 

 dered ufelefs by the invention of fire-arms, was laid afide ; 

 and the great horfe became ufelefs, and, on many occafions, 

 even improper. Lighter and more nimble horfes were therefore 

 brought into ufe, and here begins the era which compre- 

 hends the fecond clafs of horfes, called the light or f'wift 

 breed. This ingenious writer clofes his review with ob- 

 ferving, that, however highly gifted the horfes may be, 

 there are duties incumbent alfo upon thofe who are to ride 

 them, without an attention to which all the talents of the 

 horfe, inftead of being called forth and improved, will be 

 crufhed, extinguifhed, and nature have been kind in vain. 

 Thefc duties are comprehended under the "art of riding." 

 This art has been, as this author regrets, fo long neglected 

 and defpifed, that one would be almoit prompted to conclude 

 that a fatality had conflantly attended it in this country ; 

 favoured as it is with every advantage for breeding, nou- 

 rifhing, and procuring the fineft horfes of all forts, and with 

 a nobility and gentry, whofe love of exercife, activity, cou- 

 rage, perfonal endowments, and commanding fortunes, 

 would qualify them to take the lead, and " witch the world 

 with noble horfemanlhip ;" yet, with all thefe high privi- 

 leges, they have fuflercd it to languilh, and almoit perim in 

 their hands ; for a length of time it has been able to boaft 

 but of a very few perfons who have flood forth as its avowed 

 friends and protectors. The duke of Newcaftle honoured 

 it with his practice, and greatly enriched it witli his know- 

 ledge. Sir Sidney Medows, fir William Hope, and the earl 

 of Pembroke, are alfo mentioned with approbation and 

 refpect. Our author adds, that fince the acceflion of his 

 prefent majelty, the profpecl has brightened, and better 

 times begin to dawn. Since this happy event, the art has 

 manifelled figns of recovery ; public riding houfes have 

 been opened, encouraged, and frequented; and the art has 

 been fw far protected and honoured by his Oiajefty, that, as 

 our author fays, we may expeiit to iee the golden age of 

 horfemanlhip revive, and that men will no longer " complain 

 of the want of excellent horfes, nor the horfes groan for 

 want of worthy riders." This art has been much indebted 

 to the publication of "The Hiitory and Art of Horfeman- 

 lhip," by Richard Berenger, efq., which has furmfhed 

 various extracts, to be found under their appropriate titles, 

 in our Cyclopedia. We fhall here lubjoin fome particulars 



that 



