THE SELECTION OF A SADDLE HORSE
Having decided on the type of horse that one wants, the next thing is
where to find him. One of the most important points to bear in mind, and
one often overlooked in selecting a saddle horse, is not only that he
can be but that he should be becoming to the rider, and this
becomingness depends largely upon the horse and rider being in proper
proportion to each other. It is better that the horse should be too
large and too heavy rather than too small and too light. For instance,
while a tall woman looks out of proportion on a small horse and a stout
woman ridiculous, a small woman can look smart on a large horse and a
woman who weighs little may look well on a weight carrier. Still, other
things being equal, I would advise that the choice be given to a horse
proportioned to the rider’s size and weight.
[Illustration: KENTUCKY BRED LADY’S RIDING HORSE (DIXIE)]
Not only the horses themselves but the horse buyers may be divided into
classes. There is the green purchaser with plenty of money and the green
one with only a hundred or two to spend; the clever buyer who “has an
eye” and the buyer who thinks she “has an eye.” The first mentioned
should go to a high-class dealer, rely on his advice, and thus be sure
of getting what she wants as long as she is willing to pay the price.
The second ought to find something in the “practically sound ones” or
among the discarded polo ponies. The clever buyer will fill her wants
anywhere, in the auction marts, on the stock farms, at the race track,
or through a casual meeting on the road, while the one who thinks she
“has an eye” is a source of profit to others if not to herself.
The attitude of the public at large toward the horse dealer is to my
thinking most unfair, for reputable business methods are to be found
among them quite as much as in any other business or profession. If the
buyer’s experience is limited, there is nothing in which she can be so
easily deceived as in a horse. Therefore, I strongly advise the novice
to go always to a dealer of good standing, state frankly what she is
looking for, how much she is willing to pay, and put herself in his
hands without affecting knowledge which she lacks. When you go to a
dealer of standing you may be confident that having acquired a high
reputation he will maintain it, and will not sell you a horse other than
he represents it. If you go to a “gyp” dealer you must keep your eyes
open and rely on a veterinary of your own selection, coupled with the
advice of some friend who has real knowledge of horses; otherwise you
are putting yourself at the mercy of the kind of man who has given
horse-dealers at large the unfair reputation in which they are held by
the public.
Certainly the novice should not expect to get “something for nothing,”
and I would strongly advise the buyer to make up her mind that it is
better economy in the long run to pay a good price for what she wants
than to buy something cheap and in a short time have to sell it for even
less than she may have paid.
[Illustration: POINTS OF A HORSE
1--The Ear. 2--The Poll. 3--The Forehead. 4--The Nose. 5--The Nostril.
6--The Lip. 7--The Cheek. 8--The Crest. 9--Side of Neck. 10--Lower
Border of Neck. 11--The Shoulder. 12--The Withers. 13--The Brisket.
14--The Arm. 15--The Forearm. 16--The Elbow. 17--The Chestnut. 18--The
Knee. 19--The Canon. 20--The Fetlock. 21--The Pastern. 22--The Coronet.
23--The Hoof. 24--The Back. 25--The Loins. 26--The Croup. 27--The
Buttock. 28--The First Thigh. 29--The Second Thigh. 30--The Gaskin.
31--Point of Hock. 32--The Inner Face of Hock. 33--Hinder Canon.
34--Near Hind Fetlock. 35--Near Hind Pastern. 36--Ribs and Chest Wall.
38--Inner Side of Thigh. 39--Throat. 40--Top Line of Body. 41--Position
of Ergot on Fetlock. 42--Stifle.]
With regard to the prices charged by reputable dealers, one must bear in
mind the value of a horse’s education, all the chances of sickness and
of the development of unsoundness which the dealer has had to take, the
great expense of a dealer’s establishment in a large city, and the many
hands through which a horse has probably passed before he has come into
the dealer’s possession. There is not only the first cost of the horse
but also the expense of shipping him from the country--where he was
raised--into the city; the cost of keeping him there until he is
conditioned and has passed through the dangers of acclimatization--that
is, sickness caused by change of climate, of water, etc.--the risk of
breaking him to unaccustomed sights, and the long period of training and
developing into a schooled and mannered saddle horse.
[Illustration: LADY’S WESTERN PARK HACK (PINK LADY)]
Once the type has been decided on, whether it is a riding horse, a
driving horse, or a combination horse, the buyer must next determine
whether she knows enough to be able to trust to her own judgment, and,
if not, whether she knows some one who has sufficient knowledge to be
able to advise her or whether she must rely entirely upon the dealer.
She must, of course, be sure that any one on whose advice she relies not
only has sufficient knowledge but is entirely disinterested. If you
decide to rely on a dealer, it is far the best way to pick out your
dealer, go to him, and then, if he has not just what you want, ask him
to get it for you instead of going yourself to other dealers. This not
only saves time, but the dealer has a very much wider choice than you
could possibly have yourself, and it is my experience that by this
method you will not have to pay any more than you would if you went
straight to the dealer who has the animal that you want.
In buying a high-priced horse I would be sure that he carried out all
the conditions demanded by his type: that he possessed beauty and good
conformation, that he was free from blemish, that his manners were
perfect, his disposition good, and his age not less than five nor more
than eight. A horse younger than five is little more than a colt and
more liable to injury and blemish than an aged horse, and eight years is
a good boundary age, not only from a point of usefulness, but as a
matter of investment as well. There is a popular prejudice against
paying a big price for an aged horse (“aged” being the term applied to a
horse after his eighth year); that is, unless he is a show animal with a
list of winnings to his credit and bought to be shown.
A horse to have good conformation should show a niceness of proportion
in all his parts. Conformation in a saddle horse calls for a nice head,
and a long, flexible, and crested neck--never a ewe-neck. Looking from
the withers downward he should present a narrow appearance, for sharp,
well-defined withers are most necessary for the proper carrying of a
side-saddle, while gradually sloping shoulders hold the saddle in place
and go with good gaits and general handiness and quickness. The back
should be in proportion to the rest of the horse, and short rather than
long. A very long back is usually a sign of weakness and mars the
general appearance, but nearly as bad is the back that is too short.
This is generally accompanied by a very round barrel, flat withers,
thick shoulders, and a general undesirable chunkiness. The sway-back and
the roach-back must also be rejected. The former makes the proper
adjustment of the saddle difficult and gives an awkward “dipping back
feeling” to the rider, especially when posting. The roach-back is the
other extreme and makes her feel as if she were dipping forward. The
barrel should be well ribbed and the quarters must not slope nor the
tail be set too low or the top line will be destroyed.
“Manners” in a horse mean perfection of training, fearlessness, and a
will subservient to that of the rider, but do not mean a broken spirit.
The spirit should be there, but it should be under control.
When you have found a horse that “pleases your eye,” have him shown to
you at a walk, trot, and canter, which will give you an opportunity of
studying his appearance in motion and his manners generally. While at
his gaits look at him from in front and from behind as well as from the
side; that is, have him ridden toward you and away from you as well as
past you at all his gaits. Have him change from the walk to the canter
and see how quickly and readily he changes. Have him stand for a few
minutes and have him backed for at least six steps, and then have him
ridden a short distance at a fast canter and see how easily he reins
down. Mount him yourself two or three times. A horse that will not stand
quietly and that fusses while you mount and dismount is a nuisance;
backing is a good test for rearing, and reining in quickly is usually a
sign of a light mouth.
Never buy a puller; they are ruination to hands, pleasure, and temper;
so see that the horse you are looking at is bitted lightly, that he
wears the ordinary double bridle with curb bit and bridoon, and that the
curb chain is not fastened too tight. Beware of animals that are shown
to you with tight nosebands and tight curb chains, spoon bits, gag
snaffles, etc.,--these are signs of “pullers.” Equally bad is the horse
with no mouth at all, for he is often a rearer or a jibber. I like to
see a horse trained to be ridden with an even pressure on both curb and
snaffle, as described in the chapter on hands.
While the horse is being ridden for you to look at, watch closely how he
handles himself; see that his walk is free, his trot bold and well
balanced, and his action true all-round. By this I mean that his hock
action must be in keeping with his front action. A high-stepping horse
will give you a good ride if he uses his hocks equally well, but a horse
that is high-going in front and stiff and draggy in the hocks is
impossible.
See that he neither “dishes out” nor “paddles,” and that he does not
travel so closely that there is danger of his crossing his legs. Avoid
the horse that stretches too far in front and “points” or “dwells,” for,
except to a very good rider, these variations of the gait are
uncomfortable. They also count against a horse in the show ring.
His training and the trueness of his way of going having been proved, he
must next be tried for courage. If in the city, have him ridden past
automobiles, trolley cars, steam drills, and elevated roads; if in the
country, past automobiles, railroad trains, mowing machines, steam
rollers, or any unusual or noisy object, and in both city and country
see that he minds strange sounds, such as automobile horns, steam
whistles, etc., no more than strange sights.
The trial having gone satisfactorily thus far, have him saddled with
your own saddle and before mounting, ask the owner for points on the
best way of riding him.
Different horses have different little peculiarities, and may have been
taught by various signals. The person who has had experience with that
particular animal can give you valuable hints as to his training and the
signals for changing gaits, etc., to which he is accustomed.
The horse being now ready for you, mount him and start him off quietly;
first walk him, then try his trot and his canter, and if the gaits prove
pleasant the next step is the “vetting.”
Stallions, even the most tractable of them, are not suitable for women
either to ride or drive. The choice of a horse should therefore be
confined to mares and geldings. There are many who consider the gelding
preferable to the mare, but with this I do not quite agree. The mare has
a peculiar lightness of foot, vivacity, and _élan_ which are seldom if
ever found in the gelding.
RIDING AND DRIVING FOR WOMEN
_PART II--DRIVING_