The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-12
HOW TO DRIVE A HORSE.
Women Can Become Good Drivers, But They
Seldom DO.
Harry J. s hellman.


Women Can Become Good Drivers, But They
Seldom Do.
uorseman, in St Louis Post Dispatch.
We were driving along the top of narrow
road looking down very steep ravlne, and we
had no sooner got up the hill and on the narrow
track than we saw a great cloud Of dust ahead of
us. She was driving, as usual. AS the dust
lifted L saw 1t was runaway team bearing
straight down on us. | thought we were gone
and | remember to have said: My God we are
gomez But she was perfectly calm, and her face
grew only a trltie winter She looked so
confident and strong in her GOODNESS that |
allowed her to keep the rains. She drove
straight ahead toward the oncomng team, and
thought there was no hope for U.S. butshe thought
differently tor. finding wider spot in the road
she turned sharply across it and before | knew it
backed straight to the edge looking over the pre-
cipce. She had the whip grasped firmly and
Just as / thought we would go over the embank-
ment, she hit the horses cut and they pulled
US up and around, just as | felt the hind wheels
going down over the bank. She whipped and we
were soon on the broad road again where we had
plenty of room to let the runaways dash by US
Now, did any woman that ever rode a horse to
hounds do grander thing than that? Never,
because III hunting pleasure, nobility doesn't
count as it does in the cold doincs OF business
life"
lis this ignorance unversal?'
'Quite SO I've travelled nearly AL the
civilized globe. and ] find it the same every
where. If Il woman chances to have learned to
drive it is because she has picked it up herself
and not because of any attempt to teach her
In city or country it is the same and the awkard
country girl who has driven only behind the pillow,
perchance does her part more gracefully than the
city belle whose every other motion i'll life has
been set to the requirements OF grace, but who
strikes the most painful attitudes when she at
tempts TO drive. | ought probably to make an
exception of few women that in the East,
along the ocean drives, have became somewhat
expert. but they are very few and hardly have
any effect upon the average"
What must woman learn to be a good
driver!"
First she must learn how to hold the reins,
and do you know | am surprised to see how
many husbands will sit right alongside their
wives who may be driving and never offer to
show them now to hold the reins. A boy seem
ingly knows how naturally, but woman doesn't
She invariably grasps the rein so that it will
pass over the forefinger, and then be clutched
by the other fingers, the hand lying almost fat,
and the thumb pointing straight ahead That
is wrong The only proper way to grasp it is
for the hand to catch the rein just as Il cow is
MIXED, the motion of the hand in each case
being similar The rein passes under the little
finger and up to the thumb, the fingers in a per
pendicular line being gripped like a wise on it.
This grip will hold the best and most sure of
any. and it is next to impossible for the leather
to slip in ones hand That is the secret of the
whole thing. feels the rein slip from
her in the old way and she gets the idea that her
strength is insufficient She of course then
loses her head then gets frightened and finally
either Jumps out to break bone or stays in to
be crushed. The danger on the road might be
greatly diminished if only women would be
taught by their husband, father, brother. or
somebody else's brother. and thus acquire con-
fidence, presence of mind and skill that would
compensate them for the lack Of strength"