RIDING AND DRIVING
FOR WOMEN
[Illustration: Belle Beach]
RIDING AND DRIVING
FOR WOMEN
BY
BELLE BEACH
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1912
COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
Published October, 1912
TO
MY FRIEND
WITHOUT WHOSE HELP THIS BOOK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
INTRODUCTION
This book does not pretend to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject
of horsewomanship. It is offered merely as a collection of the most
important points gleaned in my career as a horse-lover and professional
horsewoman. While from experience alone a rider may evolve good form if
she is a natural born horsewoman, yet this is so rare that, with most of
us, a knowledge at the start of the general fundamental principles which
are the basis of form in riding and driving, is essential. It was my
good fortune to have my mother, Mrs. Emily S. Beach, lay the foundation
for me and, similarly, these chapters may aid some of my readers.
Nothing in this book is hearsay. That which takes but a moment to tell
has taken me years to learn; learned as a pupil; learned as a teacher;
learned by observation; learned by exhibition, by many a triumph, by
many a heart-break; much of it a pleasure, much a hard task, but repaid
always by my comrades through it all--the horses.
I desire to express my thanks to Messrs. Brewster & Co., Mr. Herman
Haas, Messrs. Martin & Martin, Messrs. Whippey, Steggall & Co., The
Durland Co., and Mr. P. Nardī for the many illustrations and suggestions
which they have kindly given me. Many of the illustrations are from
photographs which my friends have been kind enough to send me.
CONTENTS
PART I--RIDING
CHAPTER PAGE
I. FORM IN RIDING 3
II. HANDS 14
III. MOUNTING--SIDE-SADDLE 31
IV. RIDING ASTRIDE 37
V. HUNTING 58
VI. SHOW RING 77
VII. HINTS ON RIDING 91
VIII. CORRECT DRESS FOR THE SADDLE 108
IX. SADDLES AND BRIDLES 133
X. THE SADDLE HORSE 157
XI. THE SELECTION OF A SADDLE HORSE 180
PART II--DRIVING
XII. FORM 193
XIII. FOUR-IN-HAND AND TANDEM DRIVING 217
XIV. SHOW RING APPOINTMENTS 245
XV. HINTS ON DRIVING 250
XVI. DRESS 259
XVII. BITS AND BEARING REINS 264
XVIII. HARNESS 273
XIX. GYMKHANA GAMES AND SUGGESTIONS
FOR PRIVATE HORSE SHOWS 282
INDEX 291
ILLUSTRATIONS
Portrait of Author _Frontispiece_
PAGE
Correct Position of Body in Side-Saddle 6
Incorrect Position of Body 7
Correct Position of Legs 8
Another Position of Legs 9
Incorrect Position of Legs 10
Incorrect Position of Legs 11
Correct Position with Horse in Action 12
The Position of the Child on the Left of the Picture
is Correct and that of the Child on the Right
is Incorrect 13
Correct Position of Reins 18
Reversing Position of Curb and Snaffle Reins 25
Correct Position for Park Riding 27
Reins in Both Hands 27
Mounting without Assistance 32
Mounting with Assistance 33
Mounted 34
Dismounting with Assistance 35
Dismounting without Assistance 36
Correct Costume for Young Girls Riding Astride 39
Correct Position for Riding Astride 40
The “Cowboy” Western Costume and Saddle 43
Mounting English Fashion 46
Mounting English Fashion (Another Way) 47
Mounting Military Fashion 48
Mounting Either Fashion 49
Dismounting 52
Dismounting 53
Over Post and Rail 59
A High Jumper and Hunter (Taconite) 60
Giving Him His Head Over a Jump (Heatherbloom) 62
Positions of Hands in Hunting 64
Side-Saddle, Position Rising, Hands and Body Forward 65
Astride, Position of Legs, Hands, and Body at Top of Jump 66
Side-Saddle, Front View, Rising 68
Coming Down 69
A Good Type of Hunter, Bred in Virginia (Philosopher) 70
A Good Type of Hunter, Bred in the North (Ripple) 71
Correct Hunting Costume 73
Sandwich Cases and Flasks 75
Lady’s Park Hack Type (Corinne) 78
Lady’s Park Hack (Marksman) as He was when First Shown 82
Marksman a Year Later, after He had been “Fined Down,”
when He Won the Championship 83
Lined Up 89
Safety Stirrup, Open 103
Safety Stirrup, Closed 103
Riding Clothes 109
New Style Costume for Park Riding 112
Old Style (1887) Postilion Coat 113
A Winter Habit 116
A Smart Summer Habit 117
Stiffed-Legged Boots. Field Boots 123
Puttees 130
Lady’s Park and Hunting Saddle 134
Side-Saddle with Wide Pommels and Safety Flap 136
Side-Saddle with Narrow Pommels and Safety Flap Up 137
Side-Saddle with Stirrup Adjustable from Off Side 138
The Same Side-Saddle, Off Side, Showing Spring Flap which
Holds Flap Up or Down at Will, Permitting Rider to Adjust
Girths or Stirrup Leather While Mounted 139
Diagram for Measuring Side-Saddle 140
Double-Girth. Fitz-William Girth. Corded Girth 141
Adjusting Stirrup from Off Side 143
Plain Snaffle. Bit and Bridoon.
Bit and Bridoon with Cavesson 146
Correctly Saddled and Bridled for Hunting 148
Varieties of Riding Bits 150
Bits and Bridles 151
Lady’s Cross-Saddle with Rolls.
Lady’s Cross-Saddle, Plain Flap.
Light-Weight Saddle, Flaps Cut Forward 155
Champion Saddle Mare (Lady Bonnie) 158
Combination Type (Lady Macdonald) 159
English Type of Lady’s Park Hack 160
Light-Weight Thoroughbred Lady’s Riding Horse
(Indian Flower) 161
Thoroughbred Hunter (Sunday Morning) 164
Perfect Type of Heavy-Weight Thoroughbred Riding Horse
(Heartspring) 165
Show Winner in Park Hack Classes (Sonia) 168
High-Stepping Park Hack (Roslyn) 169
An Old-Fashioned Combination Type (Warwick) 170
Combination Type (Mayo) 171
Lightfoot, Winner of Ladies’ Saddle Class 174
at Age of Twenty-Three
Show Pony 175
Polo Pony 177
Welsh Pony. The Best Type for Children 178
Kentucky Bred Lady’s Riding Horse (Dixie) 181
Points of a Horse 183
Lady’s Western Park Hack (Pink Lady) 185
George IV Phaeton 194
Inspection of the Harness 195
Getting Length of the Reins 196
Stepping into the Trap 197
“Orthodox” Position of Reins and Whip 198
“Modern” Position of Reins with Loop 199
Correct Position for Shortening Reins 201
Pulling Up 205
Styles of Ladies’ Traps, Country and Town 209
Starting 212
Pulling Reins Through Terret after Pulling Up 215
A Perfectly Appointed Road Coach with Postilion
(London-Brighton, 1907) 218
Position of Four-in-Hand and Tandem Reins in Left Hand 219
Four-in-Hand Harness 220
Winding Lash after Catching Thong 222
Measuring the Reins 223
Lady’s Four-in-Hand 226
Lady’s Four-in-Hand Turning to the Right 229
High Tandem Cart 232
Tandem from Bay Shore, Long Island, Show, 1911 234
Correct Tandem Harness for Show Ring 236
Correct Position of Hands Driving Four-in-Hand or Tandem 238
Perfectly Appointed Lady’s Pair 246
Lady’s Single Basket Phaeton 247
Western Style of Gig Horse 248
Driving a Pair to a George IV Phaeton 251
Basket Phaeton 254
Correct Groom’s Livery 263
Bits 265
Proper Adjustment of Bearing Reins 270
Single Phaeton Harness 274
Single Road Harness 276
Double Road Harness 278
English Phaeton Pair Harness 279
A Hempstead Cart 280
(Newsboy) A Prize-Winning Runabout Entry 285
Judge’s Stand in Open Air Show 286
Gymkhana Games at Country Show 288
RIDING AND DRIVING FOR WOMEN
_PART I--RIDING_
“I think I could turn and live with animals,
They are so placid and self-contained;
I stand and look at them long and long,
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;
Not one is dissatisfied. Not one is demented
with the mania of owning things;
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind
that lived thousands of years ago.”
--_Walt Whitman._
CHAPTER I
FORM IN RIDING
With all the changes in fashion and fads, riding still holds its own,
and the field which it occupies can never be invaded. For women, quite
as much as and even more than for men, it is of all exercises the one
best adapted to keep them in condition, to restore the glow of health,
and to key up the whole system to respond to all the delights of life.
No less for a woman than for a man is the old saying true, “There is
something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a
man.”
Self-made riders are apt to scoff at what is termed “form,” but “form”
is neither fad nor fashion. It is that way of doing any particular thing
that is recognized as the best. This is why a self-taught person is at a
disadvantage. She may, possibly from her experience, have worked out the
correct theory of riding, but she has not had the advantage of learning
all that has been worked out by others, and it is the assimilation of
the results of others’ experience that constitutes form.
Riding should, I think, be as much a part of a child’s education as any
of the subjects taught at school; in fact, I would paraphrase and say
that “Reading, Riding, and ’Rithmetic” were the essential elements of
every child’s education. All children find in it the keenest pleasure,
and to the delicate child it offers salvation. Once the first
difficulties are overcome, the benefits are soon realized. Benefits not
only to the general health, with restored circulation and appetite, but
to the character which acquires patience and self-control--qualities
quite as essential as the proper use of hands and legs for the making of
a horsewoman.
I do not, however, approve of very young children taking riding lessons.
The age of seven is quite young enough, for when younger than that a
child’s legs are so short that it is difficult for her to keep her
balance at any gait faster than a walk. But I do approve of very young
children becoming accustomed to the motion and acquiring balance by
being held on the back of a very quiet pony, which, of course, should
not go beyond a walk. The great danger in beginning too young is that
the child may have a fall, and, if she does, may receive a shock to her
nervous system, the effects of which will make her timid about horses
for years to come.
I like to have a child come to me for her lesson without fear, not timid
from any past experience, yet enough awed at assuming control of so big
an object as a pony to have respect for, and be dependent on, her
teacher. Later on, confidence will come with increasing knowledge, and
so her education as a horsewoman will be properly begun.
Although learning to ride in childhood is certainly an advantage, yet
age is not necessarily an impediment to a woman’s learning the art. I
have known many women who have never been on a horse’s back until they
were forty years of age, or even older, who, after a few courses of
lessons, have derived much pleasure from their riding, and, with
application, have even become proficient. However, the best riders, like
the best singers or pianists, are born, not made, and there is a grace
about the natural rider that cannot be attained even by the most
thorough training.
Form in riding depends chiefly upon a correct seat, and that in turn
depends upon balance and correct position. Balance can only be attained
by keeping the muscles relaxed and being ready to respond at any moment
to every movement of the horse. It is impossible to acquire balance if
all the muscles are stiff all the time. The body should sway in rhythm
with the horse’s gait. This not only looks well, but saves both rider
and horse from all unnecessary exertion and fatigue.
[Illustration: CORRECT POSITION OF BODY IN SIDE-SADDLE]
[Illustration: INCORRECT POSITION OF BODY
Right shoulder too high and too far forward, caused by wrong position of
right knee]
Quite as important as balance is the proper position in the saddle. The
first point, remember, is that the body must be squarely in the saddle,
neither to the right nor to the left, and the right thigh must be kept
pointed almost directly to the front. The body is kept in this position
by having both legs at all times in their correct position. The right
thigh should be well down on the saddle and the right knee should both
press down and pull back on the upper pommel. The right leg from the
knee down should be kept close, but not _rigid_, against the saddle-flap
and should be nearly vertical, neither thrust forward nor sideways nor
twisted back, _and the right leg should not touch the left leg_. If the
right leg is kept in proper place, the right shoulder--the bane of so
many women riders--will be neither forward nor down, but squarely in
line.
[Illustration: CORRECT POSITION OF LEGS
Right leg vertical, left leg bent at knee and hanging naturally]
[Illustration: ANOTHER POSITION OF LEGS
Some women hold their legs in this position, but I do not approve of it]
[Illustration: INCORRECT POSITION OF LEGS
Both legs too far forward]
[Illustration: INCORRECT POSITION OF LEGS
Left leg too far back]
The left leg should be kept in the same position as a man’s leg, that
is, held in firmly against the saddle. The left knee should be slightly
bent and the leaping horn and the stirrup-leather should be so adjusted
that the former will press down and over the left thigh about five
inches above the knee. Side-saddles have two holes, in either of which
the leaping horn may be screwed, and for most women it is more
comfortable to have the horn in the lower hole. The left leg below the
knee should be vertical, neither thrust forward with the heel down nor
back with the toe below the level of the heel, nor, on the other hand,
thrust out at an angle of forty-five degrees or so from the horse’s
side. All but experienced riders should ride with the ball of the foot
resting lightly on the stirrup-iron, with the heel a trifle down and the
foot parallel to the horse, or, if possible, pointed in, and this should
be done by turning the leg at the thigh joint, just as is later
described in the cross seat. When a rider has become expert she may ride
with her foot “home,” that is, with the instep resting on the iron. It
is always advisable to ride with the foot “home” when the horse shies or
takes a fast gallop.
[Illustration: CORRECT POSITION WITH HORSE IN ACTION]
On this correct position of the left leg depends the evenness of the
hips, and on the correct position of both legs depend the level of the
shoulders, the level of the hips, the squareness and firmness of the
seat, and the proper control of balance.
[Illustration: THE POSITION OF THE CHILD ON THE LEFT OF THE PICTURE IS
CORRECT AND THAT OF THE CHILD ON THE RIGHT IS INCORRECT]