Horsemanship for Women

by Theodore H. Mead

ON WHICH SIDE TO RIDE.

The next question that arises is on which side of her escort a lady should ride. This point, so much discussed and disputed in this country, is scarcely raised in England, where the universal habit of turning to the left makes it, under almost all circumstances, safer for her to be on his left, in which position he finds himself always interposed between his charge and any passing vehicle, whether it come from before or from behind. In this country, however, we have adopted—nobody knows why, unless it is because the French do so—the rule of keeping to the right, and yet without changing our manner of riding and driving, so that the result is often awkward and even dangerous. The teamster who used to walk on the left of his horses, so as to lead them out of the way when occasion required, still walks on the left, which now puts him in the middle of the road; the coachman still sits on the right, though the probability of contact has changed over to the other side; the lady’s seat is still on the left side of the horse, which obliges her to choose between the danger of being caught by passing wheels or crushed by the horse of her escort. As there is no reason in the world, whether in the conformation of the female form or of the horse itself, or in the exigencies of equestrianism, that makes it inherently more proper to sit on one side of the horse rather than on the other, it seems strange that none of our independent American ladies should have undertaken to set the fashion of sitting on the right side. The Princess of Wales always does so, for some special reason. The Empress of Austria, who is well known as one of the boldest and most graceful riders as well as one of the most beautiful women in Europe, is said to have saddles made in both ways, using them alternately, and this plan is adopted by more than one of the noble ladies of England who hunt regularly in the season, with a view of preventing too constant a strain on the same set of nerves, and possibly causing an unequal development of the two sides of the person. However, accepting the present feminine seat as a thing not to be changed, the advantages in this country of riding on the one hand of the escort or on the other are so equally divided that the balance may incline to either side, and a lady is always free to do about it as she pleases without exciting remark. When riding on the right side, the lady is protected from passing vehicles, and the gentleman has his right hand free to assist her in any way, even to taking her off her horse in case of necessity; but if either horse were to shy towards the other, she might get bruised, and she is always liable to an occasional contact with her companion’s person, which may not be pleasant. Children should certainly be kept on the right, and so should any inexperienced or very timid person; and at all times a gentleman should interpose himself between the lady under his charge and danger of any kind—as, for instance, reckless drivers, rude strollers, or a drove of cattle. When riding on the left, the lady is undoubtedly in a more exposed position, especially if her horse is disposed to dance or shy at rattling wagons and the like; but her escort, being able to ride closer to her, is enabled more quickly and safely to take the animal by the head, if necessary, and under all circumstances he should hold his reins and whip in his right hand, and in case of danger keep his horse well “collected,” so as to be ready to act promptly and without any show of excitement.

THE SEAT.

Position.—The lady’s position on horseback is so conspicuous that the fact ought to stimulate the most indifferent so to place and carry herself as to show her figure to the best advantage, and this graceful carriage of the person will be found to be the first step towards achieving a firm and easy seat. The posture should be erect, the back slightly hollowed, the breast thrown forward, the chin drawn in so that the neck will be nearly vertical. The lower limbs should rest easily but firmly in their respective places, the left leg hanging perpendicularly from the knee downward, with heel slightly depressed, and foot parallel with the horse’s side, the right toe raised a little above the horizontal, but not carried far enough forward to poke up the riding habit. The seat should be in the middle of the saddle, not on the right side of it with the body inclined to the left, which is excessively awkward, nor on the left side with an inclination to the right, which is equally awkward, and with the additional disadvantage of being sure to cause saddle galls. When the body is consciously balanced on the horse’s back, when the shoulders are equidistant from his ears, and when the eyes, looking between said ears (an excellent habit), look straight along the road, and not off obliquely to one side of it, then the seat, whatever else it may not be, is at least in the middle of the saddle.

A SQUARE AND PROPER SEAT.

The Hand.—As to the manner of carrying the arms, Colonel Hayes remarks that he has seen of late (in England) some ladies sticking out their elbows, but that he, for his part, decidedly approves of the old rule which forbade that daylight should be seen between a lady’s arms and body. The sight which annoyed Colonel Hayes is not unknown in America, but probably most observers correctly attribute it either to ignorance or affectation. Certainly there is no reason for it, whether practical or æsthetic, as the raising of the elbows lifts the hands into a position in which the reins act less correctly on the horse’s mouth, while substituting angles for curves in the outline of the figure, and quite destroying the air of well-bred repose which is one of the great charms of a finished horsewoman. The arms should hang naturally by the sides, with the hands, a few inches apart, just above the knee, and as low as possible without resting on it, the nails turned down, the knuckles at an angle of forty-five degrees with the horizon, the wrists bent inward so as to permit of a little play of the wrist joint at each tug of the horse on the reins.

The Poise.—All this is not very difficult so long as the horse keeps quiet, or even when he merely walks; but how is this much-admired statuesque repose to be preserved at the trot, the canter, the gallop, to say nothing of incidental shying and capering? There is only one answer to this question, and that is—practice. But even practice is usually not sufficient without an accompaniment, infrequent and not always pleasant, viz., frank and unflattering criticism; and every one who really wishes to excel, and to merit the praises which as woman she is certain to receive, will see to it that this wholesome corrective is often at hand. Practice itself, to be profitable, must be intelligent, and the cause of any discomfort from the motion of the horse should be sought out and removed. It will be found almost always to result from involuntary muscular contractions, especially of the waist, which should invariably be kept supple, as it is to a slight play of loin and thigh that the rider must look to prevent being thrown up by each spring of the hind-legs in cantering or galloping.

In rising to the trot, bear outwardly with the left heel, which will keep the knee close against the saddle, and prevent the leg from swaying about. At the same time be careful not to rise towards the left—an awkward but very common habit, which can be detected by the plan already suggested of sighting between the horse’s ears. Mr. Sidney says, “The ideal of a fine horsewoman is to be erect without being rigid, square to the front, and until quite at home in the saddle, looking religiously between her horse’s ears. The shoulders must therefore be square, but thrown back a little, so as to expand the chest and make a hollow waist, such as is observed in waltzing, but always flexible. On the flexibility of the person above the waist, and on the firmness below, all the grace of equestrianism, all the safety, depend. Nervousness makes both men and women poke their heads forward—a stupid trick in a man, unpardonable in a woman. A lady should bend like a willow in a storm, always returning to an easy and nearly upright position. Nothing but practice—frequent, but not too long continued—can establish the all-important balance. Practice, and practice only, enables the rider instinctively to bear to the proper side, or lean back, as a horse turns, bounds, or leaps.” It is evidently not simply pounding along the high-road in a straight line on a steady nag which is here meant. The following advice, given by a lady who is herself an accomplished horsewoman, will furnish a clew to the sort of exercise which will be really profitable. She says, “Let the pupil practise riding in circles to the right, sitting upright, but bending a little to the horse’s motion, following his nose with her eye; beginning with a walk, proceed to a slow trot, increasing the action as she gains firmness in the saddle. When in a smart trot on a circle to the right she can, leaning as she should to the right, see the feet of the horse on the right side, it may be assumed that she has arrived at a firm seat.” Another excellent exercise is to lean over, now to one side, now to the other, now in front, far enough to observe the horse’s action, the motion of his feet, and the regularity of his step.