The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-03-02
Saddle Horses.

To the man who travels over the face
of the earth, migrating from country to
country, nothing will appear as more
extreme in the manners of the different
people he comes in contact with than
their various methods of riding horses.
While the Arab is the ancient ideal of
perfect hOrseman, yet our own country
probably furnishes as great variety and
STYLES of horsemanship as all the nations
of the world put together. Let us take
a hasty glance at the different patterns
our country affords:
In Mexico, Texas, and the extreme
Southern States, the style of riding is
quite unique. On the other side of the
Mississippi River a suitable costume is
quite indispensable. The bride is
armed with a curb bit of terrific lever
age. The saddle bears an immense
pOmmel to ease the strain of the lariat
or the elbows of the sleepy rider. A
common buckled girth would never do
in such scientific riding. The broad
hair band is frightened with cunning
twist from long loose strap that has
been "sprung" upon until the band is
as tight as wax. We are all, at least in
pictures, familiar with the broad SOM
brero, slashed breaches and large silver
spurs with their attached 8 jingles."
This rider, in his appointments and
Craftsmanship, is certainly worthy of
much admiration, for he always looks
at home," and graceful, when he tries
to be, even on the most veritable plug
of a mustang 1t is seldom, however,
that his charger calls forth anything but
a feeling of pity from the educated
| horseman. The native breeds of those
sections are a long way off from the
ideal saddle horse of the middle States.
In Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia,
we probably see the art of hOrseman-
ship, both in relation to horse and rider,
carried to higher standard than in any
other part of the world. Here we find
| the horse bred for generations under the
most enlightened rules for breeding,
and with the sole purpose in view OF
making him the perfection of saddle
| horse. In physical features he is a
model of the artist. In gaits his variety
| is infnite-a rapid walk, fox trOt, rack,
| trot, lope and run, changing from one
motion to the other at practiced signal
| from the rider; in temper perfect, quick
and comprehensive. This is a point
which no one but the practiced rider can
| appreciate. The bride lines are actual
| " useless with him. A slight bending
| of the body forward informs him you
want the gait quickened; settling
! luIJilCI UdCk III IIlG SdAAOllG lUblllldJCo 10
! him to slacken the gait; a slight bend
! ing of the body in the saddle, with a
little pressure of the opposite knee, and
! perhaps an unconscious motion of the
bride hand in the direction you wish to
| turn is all the management he needs.
The lines are never pulled to turn him
right or left, but pressed against the
side of the neck opposite the direction
you wish to turn. Leaning forward in
the saddle sets him in a fast walk or fox
trot To put him in a rack the bride
reins are pulled taut, while the heels
bring the spur pressure to his sides.
| To make him trOt, the reins and heels
are let loose, the hands are pressed
upon the withers, and the body slight
" raised in the saddle until he gets set
tied in his gait. To make him canter
| or lope, settle in the saddle and wave
| one hand in the air. These are not the
inventions of a single individual, but
| the universal custom among those who
train saddle horses in the States named.
We now come to the rider of this per-
fected saddle horse. He sits in his seat
| with an easy, comfortable grace that
shows his familiarity with it from ear
/ lest boyhOod. The stirrups are so long
that his toes barely rest with ease in
them, while his heels turns slightly out
| ward, relieving the appearance OF eX-
IRENE awkwardness that's so often seen
in riders whose toes point at right angles
with the horse sides.
These horses are thoroughly bitted
when young, and thus taught to carry a
high and stylish head, so that when in
full motion, with the favorite gait, a
rack Cthe running walk is the favorite
gait in Kentucky), and bestrid by this
1 superb rider, the whole makes picture
that challenges our highest admiration.
--.4nlericap SL0cknlaR,