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HOW WOMEN SHOULD RIDE

by

"C. DE HURST"

Illustrated







[Illustration]

New York
Harper & Brothers, Franklin Square
1892

Copyright, 1892, by HARPER & BROTHERS.
All rights reserved.




                    TO
                 E. E. F.

       TO WHOM I OWE THE EXPERIENCE
  WHICH HAS ENABLED ME TO WRITE OF RIDING

                THIS BOOK

     IS GRATEFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY
                DEDICATED




INTRODUCTION


It has not been the intention of the author of this little volume to
present the reader with elaborate chapters of technical essays.

Entire libraries have been written on the care and management of the
horse from the date of its foaling; book upon book has been compiled
on the best and proper method of acquiring some degree of skill in the
saddle. The author has scarcely hoped, therefore, to exhaust in 248
pages a subject which, after having been handled on the presses of
nearly every publisher in this country and England, yet contains
unsettled points for the discussion of argumentative horse-men and
horse-women.

But it happens with riding--as, indeed, it does with almost every
other subject--that we ignore the simpler side for the more intricate.
We delve into a masterpiece, suitable for a professional, on the
training of a horse, when the chances are we do not know how to saddle
him. We stumble through heavy articles on bitting, the technical terms
of which we do not understand, when if our own horse picked up a stone
we probably would be utterly at a loss what to do.

We, both men and women, are too much inclined to gallop over the
fundamental lessons, which should be conned over again and again until
thoroughly mastered. We are restive in our novitiate period, impatient
to pose as past-masters in an art before we have acquired its first
principles.

Beginning with a bit of advice to parents, of which they stand sorely
in need, it is the purpose of this book to carry the girl along the
bridle-path, from the time she puts on a habit for the first attempt,
to that when she joins the Hunt for a run across country after the
hounds.

There is no intention of wearying and confusing her by a formidable
array of purely technical instruction.

The crying fault with nearly all those who have handled this subject
at length has been that of distracting the uninformed reader by the
most elaborate dissertation on all points down to the smallest
details.

This author, on the contrary, has shorn the instruction of all hazy
intricacies, with which the equestrienne has so often been asked to
burden herself, and brought out instead only those points essential
to safety, skill, and grace in the saddle.

No space has been wasted on unnecessary technicalities which the woman
is not likely to either understand or care to digest, but everything
has been written with a view of aiding her in obtaining a sound,
practical knowledge of the horse, under the saddle and in harness.




CONTENTS


    CHAPTER I

    A WORD TO PARENTS                                     Page 3

    Dangers of Early Riding, 4.--Vanity, 9.


    CHAPTER II

    GIRLS ON HORSEBACK                                        13

    Hints to Mothers, 13.--The Beginner's
    Horse, 14.--Costuming, 16.--Preparatory
    Lessons, 16.--Instructors, 20.--Balance, 21.--Hands,
    23.--Position, 25.--Management, 26.


    CHAPTER III

    BEGINNING TO RIDE                                         31

    Form, 32.--Insufficient Training, 33.--Mounting,
    34.--Dismounting, 37.--Stirrup, 38.


    CHAPTER IV

    IN THE SADDLE                                             43

    Below the Waist, 44.--Above the Waist, 48.--Hands
    and Wrists, 49.--Reins, 53.


    CHAPTER V

    EMERGENCIES                                               63

    Eagerness to Start, 63.--Shyers, 65.--Stumblers,
    66.--Rearers, 66.--Plungers, 67.--Buckers,
    68.--Pullers, 70.--Runaways, 72.--Punishment, 76.


    CHAPTER VI

    CHOOSING A MOUNT                                          83

    An Adviser, 83.--Park Hack, 87.--Measurement,
    88.--Conformation, 90.--Hunter, 94.--Gait and
    Manners, 95.


    CHAPTER VII

    DRESS                                                     99

    Skirt, 100.--Safety Skirt, 100.--Divided
    Skirt, 102.--Bodice, 103.--Waistcoat, 104.--Corsets,
    105.--Boots, Breeches, Tights, 106.--Collars and
    Cuffs, 110.--Gloves, 111.--Hair and Hat, 112.--Veil,
    113.--Whip or Crop, 113.--Spur, 114.


    CHAPTER VIII

    LEAPING                                                  121

    Requirements, 121.--In the Ring, 122.--Approaching
    Jump, 122.--Taking off, 124.--Landing,
    125.--Lifting, 126.--Out-of-Doors, 127.--Pilot,
    128.--Selecting a Panel, 128.--Stone Wall, 130.--In
    Hand, 131.--Trappy Ground and Drops, 131.--In and
    Out, 133.--Picket and Slat Fences, 134.--Wire,
    135.--Combined Obstacles, 136.--Refusing,
    136.--Timidity, 137.--Temper, 138.--Rider at Fault,
    139.


    CHAPTER IX

    LEAPING (continued)                                      145

    Rushers, 145.--Balkers, 147.--Sluggards, 149.--Falls,
    150.


    CHAPTER X

    RIDING TO HOUNDS                                         159

    Courtesy, 159.--The Novice, 161.--Hard
    Riding, 162.--Jealous Riding, 163.--Desirable
    Qualities, 164.--Getting Away, 165.--Indecision,
    166.--Right of Way, 167.--Funk, 168.--Excitable
    and Sluggish Horses, 169.--Proximity to Hounds,
    170.--Choosing a Line, 172.


    CHAPTER XI

    SYMPATHY BETWEEN HORSE AND WOMAN                         179

    Talking to Horse, 180.--In the Stall, 183.--On the
    Road, 185.--Cautions, 187.


    CHAPTER XII

    PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE STABLE                        193

    Stabling, 193.--Picking up Feet, 194.--Grooming,
    197.--Bitting, 197.--Clipping, 199.--Bridling,
    200.--Noseband, 202.--Martingale, 203.--Breast-plate,
    204.--The Saddle, 205.--Stirrup, 208.--Girths,
    209.--Saddling, 210.


    CHAPTER XIII

    SOMETHING ON DRIVING                                     215

    Desirability of Instruction, 215.--Vulgar
    Display, 218.--Bad Form, 219.--Costume, 220.--Cockade,
    221.--Confidence, 222.--The Family-Horse Fallacy,
    222.--On the Box, 223.--Position of Reins, 224.--Handling
    Reins, 225.--A Pair, 226.


    CHAPTER XIV

    SOMETHING MORE ON DRIVING                                231

    Management, 231.--Stumbling, 232.--Backing,
    232.--Rearing and Kicking, 234.--Rein under Tail,
    236.--Bolting and Running, 238.--Crowded
    Driveways, 239.--Road Courtesy, 241.--Tandems and Teams,
    243.--Reins, 244.--Unruly Leader, 245.--Turning, 246.




Illustrations


    CORRECT POSITION                              _Facing p._ 24

    INCORRECT POSITION                                  "     26

    INCORRECT LEFT LEG AND HEEL                               43

    CORRECT LEFT LEG AND HEEL                                 44

    INCORRECT RIGHT THIGH AND KNEE                            46

    CORRECT RIGHT THIGH AND KNEE                              47

    CORRECT KNUCKLES, SIDE VIEW                               50

    INCORRECT POSITION OF HANDS                               51

    HANDS IN GOOD FORM, FRONT VIEW                            52

    SNAFFLE OUTSIDE, CURB INSIDE, FRONT VIEW                  54

    SNAFFLE OUTSIDE, CURB INSIDE, SIDE VIEW                   55

    REINS IN TWO HANDS, SNAFFLE OUTSIDE,
    CURB INSIDE                                   _Facing p._ 56

    POSITION OF REINS AND HANDS IN JUMPING,
    CURB OUTSIDE, SNAFFLE INSIDE                              57

    REINS IN TWO HANDS, CURB OUTSIDE, SNAFFLE
    INSIDE, SIDE VIEW                                         58

    HANDS AND SEAT IN REARING                     _Facing p._ 66

    CROP                                                     114

    A GOOD SPUR                                              115

    TAKING OFF                                   _Facing p._ 124

    ABOUT TO LAND                                       "    126

    DOUBLE BRIDLE FOR GENERAL USE                       "    202

    CORRECT SADDLE                                           205

    UNDESIRABLE SADDLE                                       206

    SAFETY STIRRUP, CLOSED                                   209

    SAFETY STIRRUP, OPEN                                     210

    A WELL-BALANCED CART                         _Facing p._ 220

    POSITION IN TANDEM DRIVING                          "    244




I

A WORD TO PARENTS


Riding has been taken up so generally in recent years by the mature
members of society that its espousal by the younger element is quite
in the natural order of events. We can look upon the declaration of
Young America for sport with supreme gratification, as it argues well
for the generation to come, but we should not lose sight of the fact
that its benefits may be more than counterbalanced by injudiciously
forcing these tastes. That there is danger of this is shown by the
tendency to put girls on horseback at an age much too tender to have
other than harmful results.

It is marvellous that a mother who is usually most careful in guarding
her child's safety should allow her little one to incur the risks
attendant upon riding (which are great enough for a person endowed
with strength, judgment, and decision) without proper consideration of
the dangers she is exposed to at the time, or a realization of the
possible evil effects in the future.

[Sidenote: Dangers of Early Riding]

Surely parents do not appreciate what the results may be, or they
would never trust a girl of eight years or thereabouts to the mercy of
a horse, and at his mercy she is bound to be. No child of that age, or
several years older, has strength sufficient to manage even an unruly
pony, which, having once discovered his power, is pretty sure to take
advantage of it at every opportunity; and no woman is worthy the
responsibilities of motherhood who will permit her child to make the
experiment.

Even if no accident occurs, the knowledge of her helplessness may so
frighten the child that she will never recover from her timidity. It
is nonsense to say she will outgrow it; early impressions are never
entirely eradicated; and should she in after-life appear to regain her
courage, it is almost certain at a critical moment to desert her, and
early recollections reassert themselves.

The vagaries of her own mount are not the only dangers to which the
unfortunate child is exposed.

Many accidents come from collisions caused by some one else's horse
bolting; and it is not to be expected, when their elders often lose
their wits completely, that shoulders so young should carry a head
cool enough to make escape possible in such an emergency.

It is a common occurrence to hear parents inquiring for a "perfectly
safe horse for a child."

Such a thing does not exist, and the idea that it does often betrays
one into trusting implicitly an animal which needs perhaps constant
watching. If fresh or startled, the capers of the most gentle horse
will not infrequently create apprehension, because totally unexpected.
On the other hand, if he is too sluggish to indulge in any expressions
of liveliness, he is almost sure to require skilful handling and
constant urging to prevent his acquiring a slouching gait to which it
is difficult to rise.

A slouching horse means a stumbling one, and, with the inability of
childish hands to help him recover his balance, he is likely to fall.

Supposing the perfect horse to be a possibility--a girl under sixteen
has not the physique to endure without injury to her health such
violent exercise as riding. From the side position she is forced to
assume, there is danger of an injured spine, either from the unequal
strain on it or from the constant concussion, or both.

If a mother can close her eyes to these dangers, insisting that her
child shall ride, a reversible side-saddle is the best safeguard that
I know of against a curved spine; but it only lessens the chances of
injury, and is by no means a sure preventive, although it has the
advantage of developing both sides equally.

Another evil result of beginning too young is that if she escapes
misadventures and does well, a girl is sure to be praised to such an
extent that she forms a most exaggerated idea of her prowess in the
saddle. By the time she is