The Arabian Art of Taming and Training Wild and Vicious Horses | Page 3

that the
saddle should not weigh more than sixty pounds, a cumbrous
contrivance, more like the howdahs placed on the backs of elephants
than the light and elegant saddle of modern times. Side-saddles for
ladies are an invention of comparatively recent date. The first seen in

England was made for Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard the Second,
and was probably more like a pillion than the side-saddle of the present
day. A pillion is a sort of a very low-backed arm-chair, and was
fastened on the horse's croup, behind the saddle, on which a man rode
who had all the care of managing the horse, while the lady sat at her
ease, supporting herself by grasping a belt which he wore, or passing
her arm around his body, if the gentleman was not too ticklish. But the
Mexicans 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 theory of taming wild horses, which is the result of
many experiments and a thorough investigation and trial of the
different methods of horsemanship now in use.

THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MY THEORY
Founded on the Leading Characteristics of the Horse.
FIRST.--That he is so constituted by nature that he will not offer
resistance to any demand made of him which he fully comprehends, if
made in a way consistent with the laws of his nature.
SECOND.--That he has no consciousness of his strength beyond his
experience, and can be handled according to our will, without force.
THIRD.--That we can, in compliance with the laws of his nature by
which he examines all things new to him, take any object, however
frightful, around, over or on him, that does not inflict pain, without
causing him to fear.
To take these assertions in order, I will first give you some of the
reasons why I think he is naturally obedient, and will not offer
resistance to anything fully comprehended. The horse, though
possessed of some faculties superior to man's being deficient in
reasoning powers, has no knowledge of right or wrong, of free will and
independent government, and knows not of any imposition practiced
upon him, however unreasonable these impositions may be.
Consequently, he cannot come to any decision what he should or
should not do, because he has not the reasoning faculties of man to
argue the justice of the thing demanded of him. If he had, taking into
consideration his superior strength, he would be useless to man as a
servant. Give him mind in proportion to his strength, and he will
demand of us the green fields for an inheritance, where he will roam at
leisure, denying the right of servitude at all. God has wisely formed his
nature so that it can be operated upon by the knowledge of man
according to the dictates of his will, and he might well be termed an

unconscious, submissive