The morning call., 1892-05-22
In THE side SADDLE.
The First Steps Necessary to Acquire
q Good Seat.
Something About Mounting From the Ground
and Getting Ready for Pleasant CaH-
ter-How and How Not to Start Out.
Written for THE MORSISe CALL

So Joaquin Miller is laughing at US all
because, as he says, little One-iunged dude
from New York came out to Southern Call
fOrnia and carried off the prizes for horse
manshiD from our California boys. | am
sorry Mr.. Miller had occasion to laugh. but
one of these days the fad for hOrsemanship
that is now so prevalent in the East will
strike California, and then California riders
Y i'll go back across the Rockies and astonish
the natives in the Far East, as our horses
have already done.
Mr.. Miller makes a point Of the improve
ment that has been made in the quality of
our horses and compares it with the degen-
eTacy apparent 10 the riders. This i'm
provement is almost wholly confined to
harness horses. 1t is lamenta0le fact that
the easy travelling, perfectly trained
Spanish saddle-horses which few
years ago were so common in Cali
fornia have almost entirely disap-
peared. In their places are gradually
appearing the dock-tailed, high. stepping
tr0tter, whose only recommendation is that
he's English. you know, and the lean,
spirited runner. The latter is a delightful
companion on a crOss-country dash. but is
apt TO be too ambitious for ordinary riders
and riding, and the former Is such an un-
natural. ungraceful caricature of what a
rl0lng-nOIse OuBnG 10 Ue thaJ IL ls small
wonder that CalifOrGians who did, once
upon a time, know what a saddle-hOrse
should be do not take very kindly to him.
SOME GOOD FEMALE RIDERS.
"The ladies are setting the fashion," says
Mr.. Miller, in predicting that riding will
again come into vogue In this State, and he
is quite right. Curious as it may seem,
there are in a number OF the cities in the
State more women to be seen than men en-
joying this delightful exercise. In Southern
California this is especially true, particu-
larly In the vicinity of Pasadena,
where number of the ladies who
ride with the famous Valley. Hunt
have adopted the style that is growing so
popular in the East Of riding with the cross
saddle and bifurcated skirt, instead of the
customary feminine habit, and what an
irreverent advocate of the new style once
called 'the dish" usually provided for
woman's appearance upon horseback. In
this part of the State, however, the majority
of women elect to ride in the dish, though
few progressive ones across tile bay have
adopted the cToss-saddle.
1t would be an admirable thing for the
women of California If the custom of riding
should again become universal here. They
do not, as a rule, get sufficient exercise.
This is not, on the whole, a country in which
walking is easy. Only the very energetic
retain sufficient enthusiasm after year or
pedestrian exercise. But there is no 70 rm
of athletic amusement so invigOrating and
healthful as riding. "a good man ON q
good horse" says an old proverb, sis no
body's slave" and still another enthusiast
declares that man Oh horseback Is as much
above his ordinary self as he is at other
times above the brutes. Nothing so quickly
develops self-contrOl in a human being as
being obliged to control this noble animal.
Whether be be OF high birth or lowly, edu-
Gated or uncultured, your good trainer Of
horses is always a gentle man.
AN EXPENSIVE PLEASURE.
Riding is for women, however, very ex-
pensiye pleasure. There are few good rid
ing-borses fit for their use TO be found in
our city stables. and for the use of what
there are stablemen charge price that puts
the recreation beyond the reach of any
| but long purse. There are a number of
reasons for this state of affairs. As / SAID
| before, the gentle, admirably adapted Cali
| fornia horse is disappearing. and his sue
| cessors of either class are not numerous.
Then stablemen complain that few women