“Brushing” is a dangerous drawback, and so is “cutting.” The first means striking one ankle against the other: the second is hitting the shoe against the other leg—a practice which involves considerable wounding and bleeding. Fast trotters frequently do it—therefore, if selecting one, look out for its signs. A horse that cuts or brushes with the fore-legs is thoroughly unfit for saddle use: he may come down like a shot at any moment.
The training of a lady’s horse should render him steady in every respect: perfectly quiet to mount, light mouthed, and ready to obey the smallest touch of the rein, without showing skittishness. An animal that bounces about when his mouth is felt, or whilst waiting to be mounted, is anything but a treasure to possess. He should not be a puller, though ridden in any description of bridle—nor should his action when trotting be rough or jerky. If this latter be not looked to, his rider will constantly suffer from undue fatigue.
That a lady’s horse should be sound and healthy is nothing short of a necessity—nor ought he to have any glaring defects, or blemishes, visible about his person—although a single one, if it be trifling—the result, say, of a former wound, blister, or scar—need not cause him to be rejected; in fact, it often happens that some excellent animals can be had quite cheap at the end of a hard hunting season, because they have got a little bit knocked about, although in many cases it does not tell against them in the smallest degree.
Very many persons—Irish at all events—will remember the beautiful “Adonis” who created so marked a sensation in the parade of prize-takers before the Lord-Lieutenant at one of the last of the Dublin Horse Shows, that was held in the grounds of the Royal Dublin Society in Kildare Street. He had a conspicuous blemish on the right side of his chest, the result of a car-shaft that had been driven through his body only five months previous to the show; yet his patching up had been almost perfect, and he commanded an excellent price, though nothing at all to be compared with the sums I had been offered for him before the accident occurred. This carries out what I have said respecting the chances of being sometimes able to secure a good animal, even a prize-winner, at a comparatively low figure, owing to some outward blemish, which, although slightly disfiguring, is not in any way prejudicial to the health, action, or general appearance of the intended purchase—or to his real value, when considered from a “useful purpose” point of view.
CHAPTER V.
THE LADY’S DRESS ON HORSEBACK.
I think I shall make this a chapter upon Dress. Not that the subject ought, perhaps, rightfully to come in just here, without first introducing some more details about the horse—but I know it to be a popular one with ladies, and it will make a pleasing variety from drier matter, which can be made to hold over very well until by-and-by.
In the days of Gottfried and the fair Maid of Ghent, ladies rode upon long-tailed palfreys, attired in embroidered robes of velvet or brocade. A century later we find them wearing cloth manufactured into riding gear, but fashioned so extraordinarily as to set us marvelling how on earth they ever bore the weight, or kept their skirt-tails even moderately clean. So far down as the first half of the present century trailing habits were worn, and about that period we find many allusions to the absurd custom, which would seem to convey something like admiration of it. For example, Charlotte Bronté, describing the return of a riding-party in ‘Jane Eyre,’ says, “Her purple riding-habit almost swept the ground;” a very questionable grace, in my opinion, and a highly dangerous one.
Even in the present day our risible faculties are sometimes excited by the sight of some countrified equestrian, clad in the old-fashioned attire of our mothers’ or grandmothers’ epoch—skirt six feet long, and quite four yards in width; bodice with long basque, neck completely open, displaying a huge expanse of shirt, finished off below the chin with a red bow, or a blue one, or a green, as the case may be; sleeves of enormous dimensions, both wide and long, and braiding enough to set up a regiment of Hussars. There was a girl in the park last season who wore a habit such as I have described, with the addition of soiled white kid gloves, and an extraordinarily tall hat, with a very narrow straight leaf, and evidently much too large to fit her head, for it went bobbing over her eyes at every step of her ungainly steed. Thousands of laughing glances were directed towards her, but she never minded, and only seemed pleased; possibly she thought they were signs of admiration—and her pleasant, healthy face was aglow with delighted satisfaction.