News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-08-21
A VACATION ON HORSEBACK.

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF A TRIP FROM
TROY, N. Y, TO STOWE, VT.
To the tired brain laborer there
could be no better way of spending a
vacation than on horseback. | trav-
eled thus some years ago from Troy,
n. Y, to Stowe, Vt. Being in New
York City, my friend Sophy and l
put ourselves and our horses to begin
with, on the Troy boat, and spent
one night in going up the river. We
did not do this, however, until we
had been down to see the boat, to
make sure that the accommodation
for the animals was to be cOmforta-
ble 1t was the forward deck, not
the state-room that we wanted to see
when we went down to the dock. We
knew that if there was anything
wrong with our room we could speak
and have it remedied. We found the
stalls comfortable on the Troy boat,
and the emen who had charge pleasant
and reasonable. do not like a boat
for horses. They are much more eX-
posed than on the cars, and | never
feel quite safe with "a horse on the for
ward deck after sunset. Bat there
were no colds taken that night
We had our riding habits for all
adornment, and the rest of our be-
longings had to 90 into two fiat sad
dle-bags which we had invented.
They were made of strong duck and
of leather, and were fastened to the
saddle hanging one on each side from
the rings in the flaps, and strapped
round so that they were firm. OF
course our clothing was reduced to
the fewest necessary articles. We
reached Troy in the early morning
and found waiting on the wharf our
faithful Pat, who had come down
from Stowe to meet us. The saddles
were soon on, and we rode off the
boat to the hotel. Troy did not inn
press us as a particularly delightful
place, and then we were anxious to
begin our ride The horses positive
ly refused to drink the Troy water.
After breakfast we and the three
horses started out, and soon left be-
hind us the city pavements for the
soft dirt road. 1t was warm but we
did not go too fast. We found out,
however, that in our summer climate
we ought to ride in the early morning
and the late afternoon; and after the
first day we followed this plan. In
the afternoon wereached Bennington
and clean, comfortable hotel, where
we put up for the night.
We always rode first to the stable
to see that all was right there, for in
dealing with horses one should re-
member that they are helpless i'll our
hands and that 'noblesse obliges''
There is one reason why the state
of Vermont is a grand one for
horseback trip, and one why it is not.
The first is. that the Vermont house,
no matter how plainly furnished, is
| always clean, for there is no one more
neat and tidy than the Vermont
housewife; and as a rule one might
| eat from her floors as well as from
her table; the second is, that the
physical conformation of the State
making travelling a little difficult for
water, horses and locomotives, the
rivers. the road and the railroad are
| forced to run close together and it is
not always comfortable to find your
| self on a nervous horse with the river
on one side and the railroad on the
other. The roads also are often
forced to cross the railroads at very
acute angles and very unexpectedly.
This made my Dick some trouble the
third day out; as we were approach
ing Manchester a long freight train
came slowly putting behind him. Like
a reasonable horse, he thought he
had better leave the road. There
was nothing between road and rail
road but a slender fence, and he evi-
IDENTIFY thought there was nothing.
Ifit had been an express his trouble
would have bean soon over, but there
seemed no end to the threatening
danger behind him; so, when out of
the corner of his left eye he caught
sight of the locomotive ne started on
a run. might have let him go but
for the possibility of sudden cross
ing ahead. SO as soon as | saw a
gap in the trees and bushes on the
steep bank at my right, | sent him up
that, against a fence, and turned him
round so that we could have a fair
view of the enemy. He stood there.
trembling, till the train had rumbled
by, and then went quietly down the
bank and on.
From the point of view of my com
panions | had been temporarily re-
duced to cloud of dust, and they
were happy to find me in my original
form as they ranged alongside. Wis
er than New York park policeman,
Pat had known that the worst thing
he could do would be to come gallop-
ing after me; and Sophy's only re-
mark was, Don't do it again.
Dining at Arlington the second
day, our afternoons ride brought us
to Manchester, where at the Equinox
House we of course found agreeable
company and good entertainment
for man and beast"
At Wadsworth's Corners, a queer
little place where we had our first
dinner, we learned that Pat should
have had with him all the tools necPs-
sary for dressing the horses. Coun-
try people are kind and obliging, but
they do not understand the care to
which city horses are accustomed
and when you ask for combs and
brushes, may possibly say, Cant
you kinder rub them off with wisp
of straw? Moreover it is not safe
to use strange curry combs, any
more than it is safe to use strange
raZors.
We spent July 4 at Manchester
and leaving there that afternoon
missed our way and were caught in q
| han mount q IN cln1unI RI1t we II n &