Riding and Driving for Women

Part Ii--Driving

XII. FORM 193

XIII. FOUR-IN-HAND AND TANDEM DRIVING 217

XIV. SHOW RING APPOINTMENTS 245

XV. HINTS ON DRIVING 250

XVI. DRESS 259

XVII. BITS AND BEARING REINS 264

XVIII. HARNESS 273

XIX. GYMKHANA GAMES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR PRIVATE HORSE SHOWS 282

INDEX 291

ILLUSTRATIONS

Portrait of Author Frontispiece

PAGE

Correct Position of Body in Side-Saddle 6

Incorrect Position of Body 7

Correct Position of Legs 8

Another Position of Legs 9

Incorrect Position of Legs 10

Incorrect Position of Legs 11

Correct Position with Horse in Action 12

The Position of the Child on the Left of the Picture is Correct and that of the Child on the Right is Incorrect 13

Correct Position of Reins 18

Reversing Position of Curb and Snaffle Reins 25

Correct Position for Park Riding 27

Reins in Both Hands 27

Mounting without Assistance 32

Mounting with Assistance 33

Mounted 34

Dismounting with Assistance 35

Dismounting without Assistance 36

Correct Costume for Young Girls Riding Astride 39

Correct Position for Riding Astride 40

The “Cowboy” Western Costume and Saddle 43

Mounting English Fashion 46

Mounting English Fashion (Another Way) 47

Mounting Military Fashion 48

Mounting Either Fashion 49

Dismounting 52

Dismounting 53

Over Post and Rail 59

A High Jumper and Hunter (Taconite) 60

Giving Him His Head Over a Jump (Heatherbloom) 62

Positions of Hands in Hunting 64

Side-Saddle, Position Rising, Hands and Body Forward 65

Astride, Position of Legs, Hands, and Body at Top of Jump 66

Side-Saddle, Front View, Rising 68

Coming Down 69

A Good Type of Hunter, Bred in Virginia (Philosopher) 70

A Good Type of Hunter, Bred in the North (Ripple) 71

Correct Hunting Costume 73

Sandwich Cases and Flasks 75

Lady’s Park Hack Type (Corinne) 78

Lady’s Park Hack (Marksman) as He was when First Shown 82

Marksman a Year Later, after He had been “Fined Down,” when He Won the Championship 83

Lined Up 89

Safety Stirrup, Open 103

Safety Stirrup, Closed 103

Riding Clothes 109

New Style Costume for Park Riding 112

Old Style (1887) Postilion Coat 113

A Winter Habit 116

A Smart Summer Habit 117

Stiffed-Legged Boots. Field Boots 123

Puttees 130

Lady’s Park and Hunting Saddle 134

Side-Saddle with Wide Pommels and Safety Flap 136

Side-Saddle with Narrow Pommels and Safety Flap Up 137

Side-Saddle with Stirrup Adjustable from Off Side 138

The Same Side-Saddle, Off Side, Showing Spring Flap which Holds Flap Up or Down at Will, Permitting Rider to Adjust Girths or Stirrup Leather While Mounted 139

Diagram for Measuring Side-Saddle 140

Double-Girth. Fitz-William Girth. Corded Girth 141

Adjusting Stirrup from Off Side 143

Plain Snaffle. Bit and Bridoon. Bit and Bridoon with Cavesson 146

Correctly Saddled and Bridled for Hunting 148

Varieties of Riding Bits 150

Bits and Bridles 151

Lady’s Cross-Saddle with Rolls. Lady’s Cross-Saddle, Plain Flap. Light-Weight Saddle, Flaps Cut Forward 155

Champion Saddle Mare (Lady Bonnie) 158

Combination Type (Lady Macdonald) 159

English Type of Lady’s Park Hack 160

Light-Weight Thoroughbred Lady’s Riding Horse (Indian Flower) 161

Thoroughbred Hunter (Sunday Morning) 164

Perfect Type of Heavy-Weight Thoroughbred Riding Horse (Heartspring) 165

Show Winner in Park Hack Classes (Sonia) 168

High-Stepping Park Hack (Roslyn) 169

An Old-Fashioned Combination Type (Warwick) 170

Combination Type (Mayo) 171

Lightfoot, Winner of Ladies’ Saddle Class 174 at Age of Twenty-Three

Show Pony 175

Polo Pony 177

Welsh Pony. The Best Type for Children 178

Kentucky Bred Lady’s Riding Horse (Dixie) 181

Points of a Horse 183

Lady’s Western Park Hack (Pink Lady) 185

George IV Phaeton 194

Inspection of the Harness 195

Getting Length of the Reins 196

Stepping into the Trap 197

“Orthodox” Position of Reins and Whip 198

“Modern” Position of Reins with Loop 199

Correct Position for Shortening Reins 201

Pulling Up 205

Styles of Ladies’ Traps, Country and Town 209

Starting 212

Pulling Reins Through Terret after Pulling Up 215

A Perfectly Appointed Road Coach with Postilion (London-Brighton, 1907) 218

Position of Four-in-Hand and Tandem Reins in Left Hand 219

Four-in-Hand Harness 220

Winding Lash after Catching Thong 222

Measuring the Reins 223

Lady’s Four-in-Hand 226

Lady’s Four-in-Hand Turning to the Right 229

High Tandem Cart 232

Tandem from Bay Shore, Long Island, Show, 1911 234

Correct Tandem Harness for Show Ring 236

Correct Position of Hands Driving Four-in-Hand or Tandem 238

Perfectly Appointed Lady’s Pair 246

Lady’s Single Basket Phaeton 247

Western Style of Gig Horse 248

Driving a Pair to a George IV Phaeton 251

Basket Phaeton 254

Correct Groom’s Livery 263

Bits 265

Proper Adjustment of Bearing Reins 270

Single Phaeton Harness 274

Single Road Harness 276

Double Road Harness 278

English Phaeton Pair Harness 279

A Hempstead Cart 280

(Newsboy) A Prize-Winning Runabout Entry 285

Judge’s Stand in Open Air Show 286

Gymkhana Games at Country Show 288

RIDING AND DRIVING FOR WOMEN

PART I--RIDING

“I think I could turn and live with animals, They are so placid and self-contained; I stand and look at them long and long, They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins; They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God; Not one is dissatisfied. Not one is demented with the mania of owning things; Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago.”

--Walt Whitman.

CHAPTER I. Form in Riding

FORM IN RIDING

With all the changes in fashion and fads, riding still holds its own, and the field which it occupies can never be invaded. For women, quite as much as and even more than for men, it is of all exercises the one best adapted to keep them in condition, to restore the glow of health, and to key up the whole system to respond to all the delights of life. No less for a woman than for a man is the old saying true, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

Self-made riders are apt to scoff at what is termed “form,” but “form” is neither fad nor fashion. It is that way of doing any particular thing that is recognized as the best. This is why a self-taught person is at a disadvantage. She may, possibly from her experience, have worked out the correct theory of riding, but she has not had the advantage of learning all that has been worked out by others, and it is the assimilation of the results of others’ experience that constitutes form.

Riding should, I think, be as much a part of a child’s education as any of the subjects taught at school; in fact, I would paraphrase and say that “Reading, Riding, and ’Rithmetic” were the essential elements of every child’s education. All children find in it the keenest pleasure, and to the delicate child it offers salvation. Once the first difficulties are overcome, the benefits are soon realized. Benefits not only to the general health, with restored circulation and appetite, but to the character which acquires patience and self-control--qualities quite as essential as the proper use of hands and legs for the making of a horsewoman.

I do not, however, approve of very young children taking riding lessons. The age of seven is quite young enough, for when younger than that a child’s legs are so short that it is difficult for her to keep her balance at any gait faster than a walk. But I do approve of very young children becoming accustomed to the motion and acquiring balance by being held on the back of a very quiet pony, which, of course, should not go beyond a walk. The great danger in beginning too young is that the child may have a fall, and, if she does, may receive a shock to her nervous system, the effects of which will make her timid about horses for years to come.

I like to have a child come to me for her lesson without fear, not timid from any past experience, yet enough awed at assuming control of so big an object as a pony to have respect for, and be dependent on, her teacher. Later on, confidence will come with increasing knowledge, and so her education as a horsewoman will be properly begun.

Although learning to ride in childhood is certainly an advantage, yet age is not necessarily an impediment to a woman’s learning the art. I have known many women who have never been on a horse’s back until they were forty years of age, or even older, who, after a few courses of lessons, have derived much pleasure from their riding, and, with application, have even become proficient. However, the best riders, like the best singers or pianists, are born, not made, and there is a grace about the natural rider that cannot be attained even by the most thorough training.

Form in riding depends chiefly upon a correct seat, and that in turn depends upon balance and correct position. Balance can only be attained by keeping the muscles relaxed and being ready to respond at any moment to every movement of the horse. It is impossible to acquire balance if all the muscles are stiff all the time. The body should sway in rhythm with the horse’s gait. This not only looks well, but saves both rider and horse from all unnecessary exertion and fatigue.

Continue reading Riding and Driving for Women free in the Wunder reader →