The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-10
HOW GIRLS SHOULD RIDE.
Sensible Suggestions to Mothers Abou
Their Daughters Riding.

Sensible Suggestions to Mothers About
/ Their Daughters Riding.
| There are very few accidents in riding
| for which the objectionable ignorance OF
/ the rider is not directly responsible. Sew
/ enty-five per cent. Of the women ride abom-
| inably, and poor form in their case shows
much more plainly than in the man. Their
shoulders are twisted, their hands I'M
steady. the toes are seen continually kick
! ing the skirt, and they rise 20 the side.
Here in New York we find much improve
ment in the public form, due to better in
struction and the dread of scrutinizing
| spectators, but the actual knowledge OF
the horse is quite as deficient. There are
women, OF course, who go in for riding
with precisely the same idea as they do for
bathing at Narragsnsett-because the rest
do so, and the opportunity of exhibiting G
fetching costume is not TO be lost. These
will ride about as they swim. A groom
and the saving rope will always be at hand,
and it is quite necessary that they should
To the young women that have passed
the age when they ares susceptible to In
struction we have nothing TO say. When
they become mothers, however, we tell
them, with all the emphasis at our COM
mand, that II they allow their daughter 70
grow up with as little practical knowledge
of the horse as they have, may the future
result be upon their heads. First Of all, is
Is a mistake TO allow girl 10 begin riding
lessons too young. In the last year or so,
children eight, ten and twelve years of AGO
have been seen at the riding schools, max
ing a very pretty ensemble in sn evening
entertainments, but much too tender to 90
on the road. 1t is well enough to allow
them to become a bit familiar with the
horse under private instruction, but fifteen
is quite young enough for them to begin
riding No child has sufficient physical
strength or judgment for the management
OF a pony earlier.
When your daughter begins her lessons,
see for yourself. or get some one who does
know, that her instructor Is competent.
Not one so called riding master in dozen
knows little else than TO sit his animal and
make it pirouetts for the benefit of the
spectators that gaze in Mortified wonder at
this offshoot Of the circus ring master, in
his tights and great boots. IL il Just as
easy to learn to ride properly "a not, but
difficult TO correct bad form IN the saddle
when once acquired.
See that her shoulders are snuArely to
the front; that her left knee is close to tho
horn, so she may press hard against IL in
case of necessity, and close 70 the saddle
flap rs well (this will stop the unsightly
and incorrect pendulum motion Of the stir
rup foot and strengthen the seat; that she
rises from the right knee, and not from the
stirrup. as is the case with ninety-nine
women out Of a hundred; that her hands
remain steady, and that ia rising. her stom-
ach and back do not fall into the absolutely
objectionable and uDgraceful seesaw move
meut. The correct seat is very difficult TO
acquire. especially TO the average young
woman, whose sides are incased in tightly
laced corsets and whose muscles are en-
tirely deficient. 1t would be well 10 use
light dumb bells and go through a series
OF body movements 20 make those muscles
elastic.-C. W. Whitney in Harper's Bazaar.