I proceed now to describe the suppling and extension exercises I have
before alluded to.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
These are simple enough in themselves, certain not to be forgotten when
once learnt, and easy to impart in the way of instruction. Their great
efficacy depends, however, upon the judgment with which the instructor
varies them, so as to call into action alternately opposite sets of
muscles and ligaments, as it is by such a process only that complete
_supplesse_ can be attained. The first suppling practice is performed as
follows: Place the pupil in a position perfectly upright, the heels
close together, the toes at an angle of 45 (military regulation), the
figure well drawn up from the waist, the shoulders thrown back, chest
advanced, the neck and head erect, arms hanging perpendicularly from the
shoulder, elbows slightly bent, the weight of the body thrown upon the
front part of the foot.
Then the instruction should be given thus: On the word "one," bring both
hands smartly up to the full extent of the arms, in front and above the
forehead, the tips of the fingers joining (Fig. 1); on the word "two,"
throw the hands sharply backwards and downwards until they meet behind
the back (Fig. 2). This exercise should be commenced slowly, and
gradually increased in rapidity until the pupil can execute it with
great quickness for several minutes consecutively. The object is to
throw the shoulders well back and give expansion to the chest.
[Illustration: Fig. 3.]
[Illustration: Fig. 4.]
Second practice.--On the word "one," bring the hands together (from
their position perpendicular from the shoulder) in front of the figure,
the tips of the fingers joining (Fig. 3). On the word "two," raise the
hands, still joined, slowly above and slightly in front of the head, to
the full extent of the arms (Fig. 4). "Three," separate the hands, and,
turning the palms upwards, lower them to the level of the shoulders, the
arms fully extended (Fig. 5). Simultaneously with the lowering of the
hands the heels should be raised slowly from the ground, so as to bring
the weight of the body upon the toes. On the word "four," lower the
hands gradually to the sides, carrying them at the same time well to the
rear (Fig. 6). The heels are also to be lowered to the ground as the
hands are carried backwards. This exercise should always be done slowly,
as its object is the gradual flexing and suppling of the shoulder and
elbow joints, and giving mobile action to those of the feet. In using
dumb-bells the first practice with them may be identical with the above,
the dumb-bells being grasped firmly in the centre.
[Illustration: Fig. 5.]
[Illustration: Fig. 6.]
Third practice.--On the word "one," close the hands firmly by the sides;
"two," raise them up quietly, bending the elbows until the hands are
touching the points of the shoulders (Fig. 7); "three," carry the hands,
still firmly closed, forwards and upwards, to the full extent of the
arms, well above and a little in front of the head (Fig. 8); "four,"
bring the hands with a quick, sharp motion down to the level of the
shoulders, carrying the elbows well to the rear (Fig. 9). The first two
motions of this exercise should be performed very slowly, the last very
rapidly. It can also be practised with advantage with the dumb-bells,
and is then of great service in strengthening and developing the muscles
of the chest and arms.
[Illustration: Fig. 7.]
[Illustration: Fig. 8.]
There are a great many other suppling practices, but the above, varied
occasionally by the use of the dumb-bells, will be found sufficient for
all practical purposes.
Coming now to the extension exercises, I select the third as being most
effective. 1st motion. Bring the hands together in front of the figure,
as in the second suppling practice, the points of the fingers joining,
the whole frame erect and well drawn up from the waist. 2. Raise the
hands slowly above the head to the full extent of the arms, turn the
palms of the hands outwards, and lock the thumbs together, the right
thumb within the left (Fig. 10). 3. Keeping the body, head, and neck
perfectly erect, place the head between the arms, the thumbs still
firmly locked together. 4. _Keeping the knees perfectly straight_, lower
the hands, and bend the back gradually and very slowly forward and
downwards, until the points of the fingers touch the instep (Fig. 11).
5. Raise the body and head (the latter still between the arms), quietly
up in the same slow time, bringing the hands again well above the head
(Fig. 12). 6. Lower the hands gradually (turning the palms upwards),
first to the level of the shoulders, making a momentary pause there, and
then quietly to the sides, carrying the hands in their descent from the
shoulder as much as possible to the rear, while the weight of the body
is thrown entirely upon the front of the foot.
[Illustration: Fig. 9.]
[Illustration: Fig. 10.]
In this exercise all depends upon keeping the knee joints perfectly
straight, and the head, in the bending-down movement, as much as
possible between the arms.
The object of the practice is to give suppleness to the waist, freedom
to the knee joint by well suppling the ligaments at the back of the
knee, and at the same time to expand the chest. For these purposes, if
carefully and judiciously carried out, it is most effective, calling
alternately upon every portion of the frame wherein suppleness is
indispensable to easy and graceful riding.
[Illustration: Fig. 11.]
[Illustration: Fig. 12.]
Great care should be taken not to hurry this lesson, and if the pupil is
of a figure that renders it difficult for her to reach her instep in
bending down, it should not be insisted on; but it is necessary that she
should bend the back as much as possible _without bending the knees_, as
any yielding of the knee joint destroys the whole value of the exercise.
To perform the above named practices comfortably, the pupil should wear
a loose dress which throws no constraint upon any part of the figure.
Slippers, too, are better than boots, as the latter confine the foot and
ankle too much for complete liberty of movement.
The duration of any of these lessons should at first be carefully
proportioned to the strength of the learner, and gradually increased as
to time day by day, until she can stand an hour's work without fatigue;
but be the lesson long or short, it should be practised every day.
It will be found that, with plenty of fresh air and walking exercise,
the pupil, by the aid of these suppling and extension practices, will
develope rapidly in elasticity of movement and in general health, and
that a couple or three months of such preparation will help her very
much as an introduction to her course of equitation.
Any good drill master who might be employed to "set up" a young lady
would most likely teach her all the above, and much more; but I have
ventured to detail these practices, assuming that a family may be
located in a neighbourhood in which no such man is available, in which
case the exercise can be imparted and superintended by the governess of
the family. These ladies are always clever and intelligent enough to
master in a few minutes such very simple details as those above
described.
Before quitting this subject a word about gymnastics may not be out of
place. Many heads of families consider them highly beneficial when
practised with bars and similar apparatus. My experience induces me to
differ from this notion, and I believe my view of the matter would be
borne out by the highest medical authority.
For boys even, gymnastic exercises should be most carefully watched, in
order that no undue strain should be thrown upon the yet unset muscle
and cartilage of the frame. For young ladies I believe gymnastics to be
not only unnecessary, but injurious, and that every practical result
desirable can be arrived at by the use of such exercises as I have
endeavoured to describe, varied occasionally by the moderate use of the
dumb-bells, a few minutes of which at one time is always sufficient.
Where there is a number of young people together, there is sure to be a
tendency to outdo each other whenever physical exercises of any kind are
introduced; and, while it is easy enough to control the pupils in the
simple suppling practices I speak of, it is very difficult for any but
the most experienced persons to determine how far a young lady may go
without injury to herself in the exercises of the horizontal bars or
trapeze ropes. If any kind of gymnastic exercises are allowed for a
young lady, the best, in my opinion, are those practised with the
"Ranelagh," because no hurtful strain can possibly be thrown upon the
pupil; and for boys I believe the Ranelagh to be a first-rate invention,
as is also the "Parlour Gymnasium," and several others on similar
principles, which ignore the practice of the bars.
The full practice of the gymnasium, however, for young men whose frames
have attained a certain amount of maturity, is no doubt good if not
carried to excess. I speak, however, only of young ladies of tender age.
Assuming then, that our pupil has been prepared for riding as above
described, let us proceed to consider the style of dress most suitable
for her early attempts in the saddle. For very young ladies, say under
twelve years of age, I believe in hair cut short in preference to
flowing locks, because the latter are very apt to blow into the eyes and
seriously interfere with riding. For the very juvenile equestrian tyro,
the hat should be one that fastens under the chin with ribbon or
something _that is not elastic_. Nothing is more important in beginning
with young people on horseback than to give them confidence, and nothing
so completely puts them out as anything loose about the head. For young
ladies over fifteen or sixteen, hats which are fastened to the hair may
be worn. But, having regard to the progress of the pupil rather than to
appearance, I recommend every beginner, no matter what her age, to leave
no doubt about the security of her headdress. As regards riding habits,
to begin with, while they should fit sufficiently to indicate the
outline of the lady's figure, all tightness should be avoided. Tight
habits are very sightly to the eye; but, in common with tight corsets,
steel or whalebone anywhere about the dress is fatal to that perfect
liberty of movement so essential to success in a beginner.
Loose jackets of course should not be worn, because the instructor would
be unable to see in what form his pupil was sitting. Nothing is better,
in the first place, than a jacket, of any coarse material the rider
chooses, made in the ordinary form, with plenty of room, especially
about the waist and shoulders. The skirt should not be too redundant or
too long, as in the latter case it is apt to get trodden on by the
horse, and in windy weather blows about, to the great annoyance of the
rider. A skirt that reaches about 12in. below the foot is amply long. As
to breadth, it should be just large enough to give space to move easily
in. A more voluminous garment is unsightly. The skirt, made independent
of the jacket, should fasten under it with a broad band. No clothing
should be worn under the skirt except riding trousers. Under-skirts of
any kind will utterly spoil the appearance of the fair equestrian, and
render her ride one of discomfort.
Riding trousers, the making of which should only be entrusted to people
who are well accustomed to it, may be made of cloth or chamois leather,
booted with cloth.
The boots, whether Wellingtons (if they are not out of date), side
springs, or lace boots, should be made purposely for riding. Fashion is
imperious, and that of the present day dictates a boot with a very high,
narrow heel, and a waist which is almost triangular; both are quite
unsuited for riding. The heel of a riding boot should be quite as broad
as the foot of the wearer, and should come well forward into the waist,
after the manner of a man's hunting boot, and the waist itself should be
perfectly flat, so as to give a firm level bearing on the stirrup-iron.
A sharp, narrow-waisted boot will be found not only impossible to keep
in place in the iron, but will hurt the sole of the foot very much.
Of spurs (very necessary in an advanced state of proficiency, and
inadmissible, of course, to a beginner) I shall say something hereafter.
Of gloves, the best kind for riding is a dogskin glove or gauntlet _two
sizes too large_. Six and a-half kid gloves do not admit of sufficient
freedom in the hand properly to manipulate the reins.
The pupil should be provided with a straight riding whip which is not
too flexible, because with a very supple whip she may inadvertently
touch the horse at the wrong time and upset him.
Having said thus much as to the equipment of our fair tyro, I leave all
observations as to dress fit for the hunting-field, or such promenade
riding as that of Rotten Row, for a future paper, and proceed to say
something about that very important consideration, the matter of the
riding master.
In the first place, then, it is necessary that the professor of
equitation should be one who has been regularly brought up to his
business. If such a man is not within reach, then I submit that it is
better to entrust the riding education of the young lady to any staid
middle-aged gentleman who is a thoroughly good horseman, and who will
undertake the task _con amore_. If the gentleman has daughters of his
own, all the better. I do not recommend young men for the office,
because, naturally enough, they are more likely to be engrossed with the
charms of their pupils than the progress they are making with their
riding. Youthful preceptors, too, have a tendency to "make the pace a
trifle too good," and there are not even wanting instances where they
have "bolted" with their pupils altogether. This by the way.
To return to the professional riding master. I may add that, in addition
to thoroughly understanding his craft, he should be a man of education
and a gentleman. Of such men there are several in the metropolis; in the
provinces they are few and far between. In most of our fashionable
watering-places one sees very neatly got-up horsey-looking men, duly
booted, spurred, and moustached, tittuping along with a small troop of
young ladies, who, with their skirts ballooned out with the fresh breeze
from the "briny," and "sitting all over the saddle," are making
themselves very uncomfortable, when they could have enjoyed the bracing
air just as well, for less money, in an open fly. The riding master, in
all probability, has promoted himself from the office of pad groom. He
knows how to saddle and turn out a lady's horse, and how to put the lady
into the saddle; he knows, also, the cheapest market in which to go for
fashionable-looking screws upon which to mount his customers. There his
qualifications as a riding master end. The inductive steps by which a
lady should be taught, the reason for everything she is asked to do, the
"aids" by which she should control her horse and establish a good
understanding with him, are all sealed mysteries to the stamp of man I
speak of. From such men and their ten-pound screws there is nothing to
be learnt in the way of riding.
Assuming, then, that some of my fair readers may be so placed as to
render access to a professional riding master impossible, I have
ventured upon this brief manual of "Equitation for Ladies," because I
believe that there are many gentlemen, good horsemen, who would
willingly undertake the teaching of their young friends, but that the
former are unacquainted with the readiest way of going to work. Let me
hope that the following may be of use in such case, both to preceptor
and pupil. Addressing myself first to the former, let me advise him to
be guided from first to last by the following maxims: 1st. Never do
anything to shake the confidence or nerve of your pupil, and never give
away a chance of doing it to the horse she rides. 2nd. Never talk to her
about lesson No. 2 until she thoroughly understands lesson No. 1. While
tittuping hacks are useless, and it is necessary to have an animal, even
for a beginner, that has still plenty of life, vigour, and action in
him, such a horse requires to be thoroughly well-broken to carry a
woman, and should have plenty of work, so as to do away with the
possibility of his flirting when she is mounted. It should be borne in
mind that, although a woman who has had years of practice will be
equally at home on almost every horse upon which you can put her, yet
only a particular stamp of animal is adapted to carry her in her earlier
essays.
Let me endeavour to give my idea of him. In height he should be from
15.2 to 15.3. A very tall woman may look better on a taller horse, but
it is rarely that one finds an animal over 15.3 with the requisite
proportions to ensure good action. Colour is of little account, except
that grey horses in the summer time part with their coats so freely as
to spoil a lady's habit. Quality is indispensable. A three-part-bred
horse, however, is the best, because he is likely to have more substance
in the right place than a thoroughbred. A good blood-like head and neck
are warranty for fashion. Good shoulders, in the ordinary acceptation of
the term, are not always good shoulders for a lady's horse, because
while they should be clean and sloping as to the scapula, the withers
should not be too fine. A little thickness there causes a side saddle to
fit better for the comfort of the rider. There should be plenty of depth
in the girth and rare good back ribs, for a woman's riding calls very
much on a horse's power. A short back is not conducive to ease for the
rider, whatever it may be as to the staying powers of the horse. On the
contrary, what is generally called a long-backed horse carries a lady
most pleasantly; but there must be plenty of power in the quarters,
muscular upper thighs, and strong hocks. The quarters, too, should be
good, and the setting on of the tail such as finishes the topping of the
horse well, and gives him a fashionable appearance. If conjoined to the
above-named points he stands on moderately short legs, with plenty of
bone, and has good round and sound feet, he will be found as nearly as
possible what is required.