No ornaments ought to be worn when riding. A small stud should fasten the collar: never a brooch; ear-rings and bangles should be left at home; a watch-chain should not be seen crossing the breast of a habit-bodice, nor should a handkerchief ever be worn protruding from the front of the bosom. This latter custom is simply an abomination, which no rider of good taste would ever dream of adopting. Some, I know, regard it as chic: a principle that makes them also keep their elbows out from their sides—but with the vagaries of such persons I have happily little to do, and certainly have very little sympathy.
Veils should be of black net, cut just deep enough to cover the tip of the nose, without reaching below the nostrils, and they ought to be sufficiently long to twist into the form of a knot at the back of the hat, where they should be secured with two short steel pins. Those which have round shiny black heads are the best, being easily seized upon, even by gloved fingers, when the hand is put back for the purpose of removing them.
You will observe that I have said the veil should be twisted, not actually knotted, at the back of the leaf of the hat—for when it is the latter, there is always difficulty in undoing it, and frequently the hat itself has to come off before the veil can be successfully got rid of. Dust-veils, of grey or black gauze, are extremely useful in the country, but ought not to be worn in town—nor should any description of white veil ever be seen on a lady’s riding-hat, even though she be exercising in the wilds of Connemara, or in a district as lonely as the deserts of the East.
Whips are of many sorts and patterns. Select the plainest among those of good description, and on no account carry one that has a tassel appended. Never use a hunting-crop except when going out with hounds, and do not despise a neat little switch if riding in the heart of the country.
I think I have but one more point to notice before concluding this portion of my subject. Be certain that your hair is always most securely put up before setting out to ride; unless, indeed, you are a juvenile, and wear it loose. Make sure also that your hat is so well fastened that it cannot, by any possibility, come off, either by the influence of a high wind, or the sudden action of your horse. A good deal must, of course, depend upon the manner in which you arrange your coiffure. If your locks are abundant—sufficient to make into a stout coil at the back of your head—an elastic loop to pass under it will be found an advantage. Should your hair, however, happen to be light-coloured, this will look badly, and I therefore recommend a plan which I have myself found very effectual. Procure two steel pins such as I have recommended for veil-fasteners—only much longer; pass them through the leaf of the hat, about three inches apart; then weave them securely in and out, in a transverse
direction, through the roll or plait of your hair, keeping the points of them turned well outward. No danger can possibly accrue from this system of pinning, if properly performed, even though you may be unfortunate enough to fall upon your head any number of times in the day.
For girls who wear their hair flowing free, I cannot recommend any really perfectly safe method of securing a hat, except by an elastic passed beneath the chin. It is not a pretty way, certainly, but juveniles need not care much about that.
You will find a warm winter jacket a great comfort in chilly weather. It ought to be tailor-made, and lined with satin, to ensure its being easily slipped on and off over the habit bodice. A little braiding will be a great set-off to this, and a trimming of any good dark fur will also enhance its appearance. I like astracan myself. The Empress of Austria, when hunting in Cheshire in 1881, wore a lovely over-jacket of dark blue cloth, trimmed with a deep bordering of astracan, with collar and cuffs of the same becoming fur. Large frog buttons, with double loops of twisted braid, extended down the front. The corners were rounded, and the shoulders ever so slightly raised at the setting in. When she took it off one day at luncheon time, I saw that it was lined with very glossy purple satin, through which ran a tiny yellow stripe. Nothing could have been prettier or more becoming.
A rain-proof cape, or jacket, will be likewise essential. If you get the former, attach an elastic the circumference of your waist to the inside of it at the extreme back—hem the ends of this, and stitch a hook on one and an eye on the other, to enable them to fasten in front. This will prevent the wind from getting underneath the cape, and you can ride quite comfortably, even in squally weather, by bringing the ends of the elastic over the fronts of the cape before securing them around your waist.
If you ride much in winter time, when wet days are of frequent occurrence, you will find a couple of pairs of celluloid cuffs, with collars to match, extremely useful. They are universally known, and are now very cheap. All india-rubber houses keep them, and they can be had, I believe, in every size. Being impervious to wet, they are an improvement upon even the best starched linen (which they strongly resemble in appearance), seeing that the latter gets limp and wretched-looking after even a trifling shower.