Postillion

Postillion, also known as Postillon or Postiljon, is a noun that refers to a person who volunteers to carry riders' horses for them to return, thus avoiding the necessity of the horses having to return by themselves. This term was historically used in various parts of Europe, particularly in the area around the Netherlands and Germany.

In its earlier use, being a postillion was a civic duty in some regions, where individuals would offer their service to post riders, assisting them by walking their horses back to a stable after delivering letters or other packages. Postillons were not paid for their service, but were instead compensated by being given the right to immediately follow the horseback rider upon delivery, thus avoiding waiting for the horse to return by itself.

The term is also related to the term "postilion," which refers to the horse owner or a person who leads a team of horses used for transportation and mail delivery. In historical times, posting conditions could be lax or absurdist, especially when the demands on these services became greater, such as rural areas without regular horse riders. However, postќillъon can be seen as a gesture of hospitality, community service or more often as a law regulating post riders that created both regular dependable or unsopisticated horseback service companies during history.