Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

The Icelanders have a most curious custom, and a most effectual one, of preventing horses from straying, which is peculiar to that country. Two gentlemen for instance, are riding together without attendants, and wishing to alight for the purpose of visiting some object at a distance from the road, they tie the head of one horse to the tail of the other, and the head of this to the former. In this state, it is utterly impossible that they can move on either backwards, or forwards, one pulling one way, and the other another; and therefore, if disposed to move at all, it will be only in a circle, and even then there must be an agreement to turn their heads the same way.