The American Horsewoman

by Elizabeth Karr

The basque and skirt should be made separate, although it is a very good plan to have strong hooks and eyes to fasten them together at the sides and back, as this will prevent the skirt from turning, or slipping down below the waist, should the binding be a little too loose. The placket-hole should be on the left side and should be buttoned over, to prevent it from gaping open; it must be only just large enough to allow the skirt to slip readily over the shoulders.

The best material for a riding habit is broadcloth, or any strong, soft fabric that will adapt itself readily to the figure. The color is, of course, a matter of taste. Black is always stylish, and is particularly becoming to a stout person. Dark blue, hunter's green, and dark brown are also becoming colors, especially for slender, youthful figures. In the country, a linen jacket may be worn in warm weather, and will be found a very agreeable substitute for the cloth basque, but the skirt should never be made of so thin a material, as it will be too light to hang well and too slippery to sit upon.

To secure ease and freedom in the saddle, a garment closely resembling a pair of pantaloons will have to be worn under the riding skirt, and be fastened down securely by means of strong leather or rubber straps, which pass under the foot and are buttoned to the bottom of the pantaloons. These pantaloons should be made of some soft cloth the color of the dress, or else of chamois skin, faced up to the knee with cloth like that of the skirt. Most people prefer the chamois skin for winter use, as it is very warm and so soft that it prevents much of the chafing usually occasioned by the rubbing of the right leg on the pommel.

No under petticoats are necessary where the pantaloons are used, but if the rider wear one, it should be of some dark color that will not attract attention if the riding skirt be blown back. Black silk will be an excellent material for such a skirt in summer, something warmer being used in winter. This skirt should have no folds or gathers in it, but if the rider be very thin a little padding around the hips and over the back will give her the desired effect of plumpness.

An important article of every-day wear will have to be discarded and a riding-habit shirt used in its place. This shirt must be made short, that the rider may not have to sit upon its folds and wrinkles, which she would find very uncomfortable. The collar should be high and standing, à la militaire, and made of the finest, whitest linen; it should be sewed to the shirt for greater security, and should just be seen above the high collar band of the basque.

The drawers must also be made very much like those of a gentleman, and the lower parts be tucked under the hose. The garters should be rather loose, or elastic.

Buttoned boots, or those with elastic sides, should not be worn when riding. For summer use, the shoe laced at the side, and having a low, broad heel, is liked by many. The ladies' Wellington boot, reaching nearly to the knee, is also a favorite with some, and, when made without any seam in front, prevents the stirrup-iron from chafing the instep. To be comfortable, it should have a broad sole and be made a little longer than the foot. This boot, however, gives the wearer rather an Amazonian appearance, and has also the great disadvantage of being very difficult to get off, the lady usually being obliged to appropriate the gentleman's bootjack for the purpose. The best boot for riding purposes, found to be the most comfortable, and one easy to get on and off, is made of some light leather, or kid, for summer use, and of heavier leather for winter; it extends half way to the knee, laces up in front, has broad, low heels and wide soles, and is made a little longer than the wearer's foot, so that it may be perfectly easy, as a tight boot in riding is even more distressing than in walking.

The corset is indispensable to the elegant fit required in a riding habit, but should never be laced tight. It should be short on the sides and in the front and back. If long in front it will be almost impossible for the rider to pass her knee over the second pommel when she attempts to mount her horse, and will cause her, when riding, to incline her body too far back; when long at the sides it will be even more inconvenient, for, if at all tight, it will make the rider, when in the saddle, feel as if her hips were compressed in a vise; when too long behind, it will interfere with that curving or hollowing in of the back that is so necessary to an erect position; it will also tend to throw the body too far forward. If the rider have any tendency to stoutness all these discomforts will be exaggerated. The C. P. or the Parisian la Sirene is undoubtedly the best corset for riding purposes, for it is short, light, and flexible, and not prejudicial to the ease and elegance of good riding, as is the case with the stiff, long-bodied corset.

The hair should be so arranged that it cannot possibly come down during the ride. To effect this, it must be made into one long braid, which must be coiled upon the back of the head, and fastened firmly, but not too tightly, by means of a few long hairpins. The coil may be put on the top of the head, but this arrangement will be found very inconvenient, especially where the hair is thick, for it will make the hat sit very awkwardly on the head. The hair should never be worn in ringlets, as these will be blown about by the wind, or by the movements of the rider, and will soon become so tangled as to look like anything but the "smooth flowing ringlets" of the poet. Nor should the hair be allowed to stream down the back in long peasant-braids, a style mistakenly adopted by some young misses, but which gives the rider a wild and untidy appearance. When the horse is in motion these braids will stream out on the breeze, and an observer at a short distance will be puzzled to know what it is that seems to be in such an extraordinary state of agitation. It is also a mistake to draw the hair back tightly from the forehead, as this gives a constrained look to the features; it should, on the contrary, be arranged in rather a loose, unstudied manner, which will tend to soften the expression of the face. It is the extreme of bad taste to bang or frizz the hair across the forehead, or to wear the hat somewhat on the back of the head. These things are sometimes done by very young girls, but give to the prettiest and most modest face an air of boldness and vulgarity.

The riding hat at present fashionable, and most suitable for city or park, is made of black silk plush with a Stanley curved brim, and bell-crown, and is trimmed with a narrow band around the crown, directly above the brim. Another favorite is a jockey-cap, made of the same cloth as that of the habit. Either of these may be obtained at the hat stores. For riding in the country, where one does not care to be so dressy, the English Derby, or some other fashionable style of young gentleman's felt hat, may be used; with a short plume or bird's wing fastened at the side, a hat of this description has a very charming and coquettish air. There is another style of silk hat manufactured expressly for ladies, which may also be obtained at any hatter's; it has a lower crown than a gentleman's silk hat, and looks very pretty with a short black net-veil fastened around the crown, as this relieves the stiff look it otherwise presents. This style of hat is very appropriate for a middle-aged person. Care must be taken to have the hat neither too loose nor too tight; if too tight, it will be apt to occasion a headache, and if too loose will be easily displaced.