River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-06-24
For Women who Ride


The lady's position ON horseback,
says writer in Harper's Bazaar, is so
conspicuous that the fact ought to
stimulate the most Indifferent so to
place and carry herself as to show her
figure to the best advantage, and this
graceful carriage of the person will be
found to be the first step toward
achieving firm and easy seat. The
posture hould be erect, the back
slightly followed, the breast thrown
forward, the chin drawn in so that the
neck will be nearly vertical. The low
er limbs would rest easily but firmly in
their respective places, the left leg
hanging perpendicularly from the knee
downward, with heel slightly depressed
and foot parallel with the horse side,
the right toe raised a little above the
horizontal, but not carried far enough
forward TO poke up the riding-habit.
The seat should be in the middle
Of the saddle, not on the right
side of it with the body inclined to the
left, which is excessively awkward,
nor on the left side withan inclination
to the right, which is equally awkward
and with the additional disadvantage
Va btAAE cAtAt 10 GdNbG SdlIlC~G1ltE-
When the body is consciously bal
anced on the horses back, when the
shoulders are equidistant from his ears,
and when the eyes. looking between
said ears Tan excellent habit, look
straight along the road, and not of OBJ
liquely to one side OF it, then the seat,
whatever else it may not be, is at least
IN the middle of the saddle. The arms
should hang naturally by the sides,
with the hands few inches apart, Just
above the knee, and as low as possible
without resting on it, the nails turned
down, the knuckles at an angle of 40 :
with the horizon, the wrists bent inward
so as to permit of play of the wrist
/ joint at each tug of the horse on the
reins.
| All this is not very difficult so long
as the horse keeps quite, or even when
/ he merely walks; but how is this much
| admired statuesque repose 10 be pre-
served at the trot, the canter, the gal
lop, to say nothing of incidental shying
and capering? There is only one an
swer TO this question, and that is-prac-
tice.
But even practice is usually not sufli-
cient without an accompaniment in
frequent and not always pleasant-viz.:
/ frank and unflattering criticism; and
every one who really wishes to excel
and to merit the praises which as
woman she is certain to receive vii
see to it that this wholesome corrective
is often at hand. Practice itself, to be
profitable must be intelligent, and the
cause of any discomfort from the mo-
1 ton of the horse should be sought out
and removed. 1t will be found almost
/ always to result from involuntary mus
cular contractions, especially of the
waist, which should invariably be keto
supple, as it is to slight play of lopt
and thigh that the rider must look in
prevent being thrown up by each spring
of the hindlegs in cantering or gallop-
ing. In rising to the trot bear out
wardly with the left heel which viii
keep the knee close against the saddle
and prevent the leg from swaying
about. AT the same time be careful to
rise vertically, and not toward the left
an awkward but very common habit,
which can be detected by the plan al
ready suggested OF sighting between
the horses ears