HACKING.
It is necessary for a lady to acquire a knowledge of the rules of the
road before riding in public, especially if she be attended by a groom,
who would of course ride behind her. Persons, whether riding or driving,
when proceeding in opposite directions, pass each other on the near
(left-hand) side of the road, and when going in the same direction, the
more speedy party goes by the other on the off (right) side. A male
companion would ride on her off side. In military riding, the rule when
meeting a rider proceeding in the opposite direction is "bridle hand to
bridle hand."
When the young horsewoman assumes charge of her mount in the open, she
should always keep a watchful eye on the road in front of her, in order
to avoid as far as possible dangerous ground and approaching vehicles.
Her eyes and ears should enable her to mentally note objects coming
behind her, as well as those on either side, such as, for instance,
loose horses or cattle in fields, the approach of trains, etc., in order
that she may be prepared for any sudden movement on the part of her
animal. Loose horses which we meet in fields have such a playful way of
galloping up behind, and frequently taking great liberties, that it is
often necessary to get into the next enclosure as quickly as possible.
Even when quietly cantering on grass by the side of the road, the
vagaries of loose horses or cattle, or even the sudden flight of birds
on the other side of the dividing boundary, may cause a rider to be
taken by surprise, if she has not previously made a mental note of her
neighbourhood. Also, she should always have reassuring words on the tip
of her tongue for her animal in case of momentary alarm. The quietest
horse in the world may occasionally exhibit fear, but if his rider uses
her eyes and ears, she will generally be prepared for any sudden flight
of fancy on his part, and will not be likely to lose her head.
A lady should avoid trotting on broken or uneven ground, or on a road
which is covered with loose stones, as her horse would be liable to fall
and perhaps cut his knees. Unless in a hurry to reach her destination,
she should not, like a butcher's boy, trot her horse at his fastest
speed. The ground chosen for a canter should be soft and, if possible,
elastic, and she should, of course, avoid the "'ammer, 'ammer on the
'ard 'igh road," which is a fruitful cause of lameness. Any soft parts
at the side of a road may be used for the canter, or if the ground is
very hard and dry, as it sometimes is in summer, and also in frosty
weather, only quiet trotting and walking exercise could be taken with
safety to the horse. A lady should always study her mount, and carefully
select the "going." It is best to ride down-hill at a walk. If a horse
stumbles he should never be hit or jobbed in the mouth, because he takes
no pleasure in making false steps, or even in breaking his knees.
A lady should always give any passing vehicle as much room as possible.
If her animal is afraid to pass any object on the road, the groom or
attendant should at once ride in advance and give him a lead. If he
still evinces fear, his rider should speak encouragingly to him, pat him
on the neck, and tell him to go on. If this fails, and he shows an
inclination to turn in an opposite direction, she should check him at
once, and order him to go on in a severe tone of voice. It will be on
such occasions as these that a rider who has never acquired the silly
habit of constantly talking to her mount, will find the voice a powerful
factor in horse control. Unfortunately, many people, when a horse shies,
lose their heads, clutch at the reins, hit the horse, and commit other
foolish acts which only irritate the animal, without in any way allaying
his fear, supposing, as we do, that the horse is good-tempered, and is
not shying from vice. The voice of his rider will inspire him with
confidence, and, therefore, when he has made an anxious and fearful step
in the right direction, he should be patted and spoken to in an
encouraging tone, so that his mind may not be wholly occupied with the
terrifying object in front of him. It is a good plan to incline his
head away from it as much as possible. I have ridden young horses who
have shied at almost everything, but have never worried them to go up to
and smell the object of their aversion, as some recommend, because it is
not always practicable to do so, as, for instance, in the case of a
motor car. It is not wise to give undue importance to comparative
trifles. The voice has always stood me in good stead with shying horses,
who soon get to regard it as a sure sign that they have nothing to fear.
A lady who has been properly taught to ride, and sits correctly, should
remember that whatever her horse may do in plunging about from one side
of the road to the other, he cannot unseat her, so she need feel no
alarm on that point. The greatest danger is that the horse may dash into
something which in his fright he has not seen, but that, fortunately, is
a very rare occurrence, even with young horses. However frightened a
lady may herself feel, she should never reveal her secret to her horse
by speaking to him in a terrified tone of voice, or by otherwise
displaying fear; and above all things, she should never lose her temper
and hit him, no matter how obstinate he may be, as doing so will only
make him shy on the next occasion, with a display of temper thrown in,
and he will then be more difficult than ever to manage. The best way to
act with a horse which shies from desire to "play up," is to take as
little notice as possible of his antics, give him more work, and less
corn.
A lady should always ride slowly round a corner, and keep a good look
out in front of her. Many things may happen during the course of a ride
to try the nerve of both horse and rider, but if anything should startle
a horse, his rider should keep her head cool, sit tight, and do her best
to pull him up. She will have doubtless accustomed him to the meaning of
the word "steady," or other verbal order which she may have employed
when slackening speed. This word, accompanied by a steady and vigorous
pull on the reins, should succeed in stopping him before he has had time
to get up much speed. If, however, a lady finds she cannot pull him up,
she should try to turn him to the left, as that will be the easier,
supposing, of course, she has sufficient room in which to turn. If not,
she should saw his mouth with the bit by working it from side to side.
The groom, or attendant, should on no account gallop after her, as doing
so will only tend to make the lady's horse go all the faster. I remember
riding a very hard puller belonging to Mr. Wintle, of Shanghai. One day
this animal bolted with me, and the stupid native _mafoo_ behind
galloped on after me. I managed to stop the animal by turning him to the
left, and pointing his head away from the homeward direction in which we
were proceeding, but I was greatly hampered by my mount hearing the
footfalls behind him. The native groom was frightened, and no doubt
thought he could help me, which he could best have done by pulling up. I
cannot too strongly impress on all ladies who ride the necessity of
using a safety-bar on their saddles (p. 38), and wearing a safety skirt,
even when hacking; for a sudden cause of fright may make the animal
unseat his rider, and it is no uncommon thing for a horse to fall when
going over apparently level ground, even at a walk, in either of which
cases she might get dragged by her stirrup or skirt, if it is of the
non-safety pattern. In any case of difficulty with a horse, a lady
should contrive at all hazards to retain her self-possession and her
seat, remembering that the least symptom of alarm on her part will
increase the terror or obstinacy of the animal. My advice for stopping a
runaway is not so easy to follow as drawing on a glove, but it has
extricated me on many occasions from a dangerous position and,
therefore, I know it to be practicable; but I hope no lady may ever have
occasion to put it to the proof. Although all quarrels between horse and
rider should be avoided, a woman should never, by over-indulgence,
induce her mount to consider that she is afraid of him, because if he
once gets that idea into his head, he will exert every means to convince
her that he is the master, and will end by doing precisely what he
likes, instead of implicitly obeying her commands. By watching my
husband reduce to subjection vicious horses in various parts of the
world, I have seen that although equine demons cannot be conquered by
physical strength, they can be controlled by coolness, patience and
knowledge, which is a fact that every riding woman should bear in mind.