Transcriber’s Note

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A list of corrections is found at the end of the text. Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been maintained. A list of inconsistently spelled and hyphenated words is found at the end of the text.

THE
HORSEWOMAN

Portait

THE HORSEWOMAN
A Practical Guide to Side-Saddle Riding

BY
ALICE M. HAYES
Author of “My Leper Friends.”

EDITED BY
M. HORACE HAYES, F.R.C.V.S.
(Late Captain “The Buffs”)

Author of
“Points of the Horse,” “Veterinary Notes for Horse-Owners,”
“Riding and Hunting,” etc.

Second Edition, revised, enlarged and 133 photographic
illustrations added.

LONDON
HURST AND BLACKETT, LIMITED
13 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET
1903

PRINTED BY KELLY’S DIRECTORIES LTD.,
LONDON AND KINGSTON.

PREFACE.

The first edition of this book was the result of seven years’ experience of riding hundreds of horses in India, Ceylon, Egypt, China and South Africa; the most trying animals being those of which I was the rough-rider at my husband’s horse-breaking classes. Since that edition came out, I have hunted a good deal, chiefly, in Leicestershire and Cheshire, and have taught many pupils, both of which experiences were of special advantage to me in preparing this new edition; because English ladies regard riding, principally, from a hunting point of view, and the best way to supplement one’s education, is to try to teach.

The directions about side-saddles and seat are the outcome of practical work and fortunate opportunities; and I hope they will be as useful to my readers as they have been to my pupils. Although I have ridden, when abroad, some of the worst buckjumpers that could be found in any country, I have never “cut a voluntary,” thanks to the adoption of a seat and saddle which gave the necessary grip. Of course I have had “purls,” when horses have “come down” with me out hunting; and on one occasion in China, when a horse which I mounted for the first time, reared and came over.

I have taken Figs. 32 to 51, 71 to 78 and Fig. 90 from Riding and Hunting, and Figs. 147 and 148 from Points of the Horse. My husband has written Chapter XXII.

I have omitted the chapter on my Riding Experiences, as I thought it out of place in a purely teaching book.

Knowing the immense value of photographs in explaining technical subjects, I have gladly availed myself of the expert help of my husband and son in that form of illustration.

I am greatly obliged to Miss Harding, Miss Burnaby, Miss Neil, the Rev. G. Broke, the Rev. R. J. Gornall, Mr. Clarence Hailey of Newmarket, the Editor of Country Life and the Editor of The Queen, for the admirable photographs and blocks they most kindly lent me. I regret that I inadvertently omitted to place the names of Mr. Clarence Hailey and the Gresham Studio, Adelaide, South Australia, under the excellent photographs which are respectively reproduced in Figs. 2 and 3.

This edition is practically a new book.

Yew Tree House,
Crick, Rugby,
25th March, 1903.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
Beginning to Ride	1 to 7
CHAPTER II.
Horses for Ladies	8 to 24
CHAPTER III.
Side-saddles	25 to 69
CHAPTER IV.
Bridles	70 to 88
CHAPTER V.
Riding Dress	89 to 124
CHAPTER VI.
Mounting and Dismounting	125 to 135
CHAPTER VII.
How to Hold the Reins	136 to 144
CHAPTER VIII.
The Seat	145 to 159
CHAPTER IX.
Hands, Voice, Whip and Spur	160 to 184
CHAPTER X.
First Lessons in Riding	185 to 218
CHAPTER XI.
Riding Across Country	219 to 226
CHAPTER XII.
Hacking	227 to 232
CHAPTER XIII.
Riding without Reins	233 to 243
CHAPTER XIV.
Nerve	244 to 247
CHAPTER XV.
Fences, Country and Gates	248 to 303
CHAPTER XVI.
Hunting	304 to 380
CHAPTER XVII.
Riding and Hunting Abroad	381 to 393
CHAPTER XVIII.
Walking Foxhound Puppies	394 to 413
CHAPTER XIX.
Kindness to Horses	414 to 425
CHAPTER XX.
Cross-saddle Riding for Ladies	426 to 430
CHAPTER XXI.
Riding Difficult Horses	431 to 464
CHAPTER XXII.
Names of External Parts of the Horse	465 to 473

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Frontispiece—Alice M. Hayes.
FIG.		PAGE
1.	Man riding a horse over a fence in a side-saddle	3
2.	Miss Burnaby’s Butterfly	9
3.	Miss Neil’s Jackeroo	11
4.	Mr. Vansittart’s Romance	13
5.	Irish mare, Salary	15
6.	Polo pony, Pat	17
7.	Arab pony, Freddie	19
8.	Side view of saddle tree	26
9.	Underneath view of saddle tree	27
10.	Front view of saddle tree	29
11.	Underneath view of saddle tree and its webs	31
12.	Grip with improved leaping head	35
13.	” ordinary ”	37
14.	Hook for stirrup leather	39
15.	Leaping head too low down	40
16.	Side view of a properly made saddle	41
17.	Champion and Wilton’s extra stirrup case	43
18.	Capped stirrup-iron	44
19.	Slipper stirrup	44
20.	The Christie stirrup	44
21.	Foot caught	45
22.	Latchford stirrup	46
23.	Scott’s stirrup	46
24.	” ” open	47
25.	Cope’s stirrup	48
26.	Foot released by Cope’s stirrup	49
27.	Scott’s stirrup	50
28.	Foot caught on off side	51
29.	Child mounted	61
30.	Child jumping without reins	63
31.	Foot caught, on account of its having been put into the stirrup from the wrong side	67
32.	“Head” of a single bridle: a, crown-piece; b, b, cheek-pieces; c, throat-latch; d, front or brow-band	71
33.	Unjointed snaffle	72
34.	Chain snaffle	72
35.	Ordinary snaffle with cheeks	72
36.	Nutcracker action of jointed snaffle on horse’s mouth	73
37.	Action of unjointed snaffle on horse’s mouth	73
38.	Action of a curb as a lever	73
39.	Properly constructed curb for ordinary hunter. Side view	74
40.	Ward Union curb bridle with half-moon snaffle	75
41.	Curb chain covered with india-rubber tube	76
42.	Chin-strap unbuckled	76
43.	Chin-strap buckled	76
44.	Curb reversed by horse throwing up his head, in the absence of a chin-strap	77
45.	Cavasson nose-band	79
46.	Standing martingale attached to rings of the snaffle	80
47.	Lord Lonsdale’s registered running martingale	81
48.	Maximum length of standing martingale	83
49.	Side view of horse’s lower jaw	85
50.	Angle made by the cheeks of a curb, when the reins are taken up	86
51.	View of under-surface of lower jaw	87
52.	The Hayes’ Safety Skirt open for mounting	91
53.	Off side of the Hayes’ Safety Skirt	93
54.	The Hayes’ Safety Skirt closed for walking	95
55.	Apron skirt open for mounting	97
56.	The apron skirt closed for walking	99
57.	Riding dress for child	101
58.	Loose riding coat, too long	103
59.	Front view of good riding coat	105
60.	Back view of good riding coat	107
61.	Terai hat and Norfolk jacket	109
62.	Pith hat and drill jacket	109
63.	Good driving coat	111
64.	Top of boot catching on safety bar flap	119
65.	Front view of riding under-bodice	121
66.	Back view of riding under-bodice	123
67.	Foot raised for mounting	127
68.	Ready to mount	129
69.	Dismounting without help	133
70.	” with help	135
71.	A rein in each hand	137
72.	Single reins crossed in one hand	138
73.	” ” ” ” ”	138
74.	Double reins held separately in two hands	139
75.	Holding double reins crossed in one hand	140
76.	Double reins in left hand: one crossed, the other hooked up on middle finger	141
77.	Reins held in one hand in military fashion	142
78.	Off rein taken up by right hand from position shown in Fig. 77	143
79.	Position of rider’s legs at the walk	147
80.	Hooked back leg, the direction of the pressure of which is shown by the fore finger of the left hand	151
81.	Seat at the walk	153
82.	Length of stirrup	155
83.	Correct position of legs	157
84.	Leaning back	158
85.	Hunting whip	171
86.	Thong properly put on	173
87.	” ” ”	173
88.	” incorrectly put on	175
89.	” not quite right	175
90.	A practical bullfinch	177
91.	Spur-carrying whip used for high school riding	181
92.	Thorough-bred mare at a walk	187
93.	Preparing to rise at the trot, with stirrup at correct length	191
94.	Rising at the trot, with stirrup at correct length	193
95.	Preparing to rise at the trot, with stirrup too long	195
96.	Rising at the trot, with stirrup too long	197
97.	Canter, with right leg hooked back, and stirrup too long	199
98.	Good seat at canter or gallop	201
99.	” ” ” ”	203
100.	” ” ” ”	205
101.	Bad seat; right leg hooked back, stirrup too long, and foot “home”	207
102.	Miss Emmie Harding jumping wire	211
103.	Maximum amount of pressure on leaping head	213
104.	Position of legs in jumping	215
105.	Driving horse over jumps	235
106.	A cut-and-laid fence	251
107.	” ” ” during construction	253
108.	A stake and bound fence	255
109.	Post and rails to close gap in hedge	257
110.	Posts and rails	259
111.	” ” ” with ditch	261
112.	Midland stile	263
113.	An oxer	265
114.	Wire in front of bullfinch	267
115.	Galway bank	271
116.	Side view of bank shown in Fig. 115	273
117.	Galway bank	275
118.	“Cope and dash” wall	277
119.	Loose stone wall	279
120.	Low bank with ditch on both sides	281
121.	View of country between Yelvertoft and Crick	283
122.	Grass on each side of the road	285
123.	Ordinary five-barred gate	289
124.	Bridle gate	291
125.	Gate with wooden latch	293
126.	” ” spring ” which has to be drawn back	295
127.	” ” ” ” ” ” ” pushed forward	297
128.	Double gate	299
129.	A puzzle in gate-opening	301
130.	Ridge and furrow	317
131.	” ” ” in the distance	321
132.	Haystack and gate	329
133.	Brook	337
134.	Pollard willows in the next field	339
135.	The Cottesmore drawing a covert	355
136.	Wire board	359
137.	Red flag	363
138.	“’Ware wire”	365
139.	Iron hurdle	367
140.	Wire on top of gate	369
141.	Pytchley puppy, Mottley	401
142.	Front view of kennel coat	403
143.	Back view of kennel coat	405
144.	Puppies with bicycle	407
145.	Pytchley puppy, Monarch	409
146.	Riding mountain zebra	457
147.	External parts of horse	467
148.	Measurements of horse	471

THE HORSEWOMAN.

CHAPTER I.
BEGINNING TO RIDE.

Instruction based on experience assists us in the attainment of all arts, and hastens the process of learning. Although a specially gifted individual who has not been taught, may be able to sing in a pleasing style, no one has ever become an accomplished pianist without competent instruction; the former being somewhat in the position of a man, the latter in that of a lady, as regards riding. In all countries we find good untaught horsemen who have got “shaken into their seats” by constant practice, with or without a saddle, which in most cases is chiefly a protection to the animal’s back. A side-saddle, on the contrary, is as artificial a production as a musical instrument, and a full knowledge of its peculiarities often cannot be acquired during a lifetime. Here the great difference between men and women is that the former ride the horse; the latter, the saddle. The tyranny of the side-saddle would not be so marked as it is, if this article of gear were of a uniform pattern of the best possible kind. Unfortunately it is generally built according to the fantastic ideas of fashionable makers who have no practical experience of side-saddle riding. Unaided learners have such difficulty in acquiring security and grace of seat and good hands, that many ladies who have ridden all their lives, and have lots of pluck, are poor performers, particularly in the hunting-field. A beginner who is put on a properly made saddle and suitable horse, and is taught the right principles of riding, will make more progress in a month than she would otherwise do in, say, five years. The artificiality of side-saddle riding extends even to the horse, which must be free from certain faults, such as unsteadiness in mounting, that would not render him unsuitable to carry a male rider.

Competency in the instructor is of the first importance. Nothing is more absurd than for a man who cannot ride well in a side-saddle, to try to unfold to a lady the mysteries of seat. Such men, instead of getting into a side-saddle and showing their pupils “how to do it,” generally attempt to conceal their ignorance by the use of stock phrases. If asked “Why?” they invariably reply, “Because it’s the right thing to do,” or words to that effect. I have never heard of women venturing to teach men how to ride.

Davis, a young groom we had, was a rare instance of a man who was thoroughly competent to teach ladies how to ride, because he had lots of practice in side saddles, and had ample opportunities of learning the theory of the art, while I was teaching pupils in a riding school, where I rode and jumped horses without a skirt. Fig. 1 shows Davis riding in a side saddle over a gate, on my grey horse Gustave. The fact of his not hanging on to the horse’s head is a good proof that he had a strong seat.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Horsewoman: A Practical Guide to Side-Saddle Riding, 2nd. Ed.