manage these things with more gallantry than the ancients did. The
"pisanna," or country lady, we are told is often seen mounted before her
"cavalera," who take the more natural position of being seated behind his
fair one, supporting her by throwing his arm around her waist, (a very
appropriate support if the bent position of the arm does not cause an
occasional contraction of the muscles.) These two positions may justly be
considered as the first steps taken by the ladies towards their improved
and elegant mode of riding at the present day.

At an early period when the diversion of hawking was prevalent, they
dressed themselves in the costume of the knight, and rode astride. Horses
were in general use for many centuries before anything like a protection
for the hoof was thought of, and it was introduced, at first, as a matter
of course, on a very simple scale. The first foot defense, it is said,
which was given to the horse, was on the same principle as that worn by
man, which was a sort of sandal, made of leather and tied to the horse's
foot, by means of straps or strings. And finally plates of metal were
fastened to the horse's feet by the same simple means.

Here again, as in the case of the sturrupless saddle, when we reflect that
men should, for nearly a thousand years, have gone on fastening plates of
metal under horses' hoofs by the clumsy means of straps and strings,
without its ever occurring to them to try so simple an improvement as
nails, we have another remarkable demonstration of the slow steps by which
horsemanship has reached its present state.

In the forgoing remarks I have taken the liberty of extracting several
facts from a valuable little work by Rolla Springfield. With this short
comment on the rise and progress of horsemanship, from its commencement up
to the present time, I will proceed to give you the principles of a new