The morning call., 1892-06-26
In THE SIDEOADDLE.
Why Women Cannot Readily Hire Saddle
Horses at Stables.
How to Take Proper Care Of Horse When
Riding, and So Better the Reputation
Women Have as Horse-Killers.
Written for THE MORNING CALL.

In our last consideration Of this subject
the points discussed were mounting and
starting for ride. AS l then said, return
ing home as safely and soundly as you
started Is another question. There are a
good many things to be considered in con-
nection with 1t. To begin with you not only
wish to return safely yourself. but you
want, or should want, TO bring your horse
safely back. II more women were I'M
pressed with the desirability of doing the
latter it would soon be easier for woman
to obtain decent mount at a stable. AS 1t
is it is next to impossible. and for no other
reason, say the stablemen, than that ladies
are so hard on the horses.
The dangers that menace your horse in
riding. especially about cities, are far greater
than those to which you yourself are ex-
posed. If you are a careless rider there Is
danger of your iujuring his feet and legs by
allowing him TO travel at rapid pace over
raved streets or macadamized roads, Moth
ing, to use an old phrase among horsemen,
"staves up" horse so quickly as this. An
animal weighing $50 or 1000 pounds, canter
he never so lightly, brings down each fore
foot with a blow equal to two-thirds of his
weight, and on hard road tie heavy Earring
of such pace, even though he carries n o ad-
ditional weight, is bound to be disastrous II
continued very long. There is danger to
him from loose stones In the road, and
good rider should accustom herself to be on
tine lookout for such, that she may guide
him away from them in season. III he steps
upon one he may get bruised frog,
if not q serious strain or even tumble.
Never let your horse extend himself on
bard road if you care Tor your animal or de-
sire TO be known among letters OF horses
10 opa tn ubom safe 10 let mount.
Again, you may be scTupulously careful
about letting him gall0p or eanteT on hard
road, and you may look out for and avoid
every lurking danger for bis feet, yet by let
ting him stand five minutes III a draught
when heated you may so cripple him that he
will never take an easy step again. Avoid
letting him drink when he is warm; avoid
stopping where a draught Of wind may
strike him, and, above all, and point you
should charge your conscience with, II you
are of an enthusiastic temperament and
fond of this glorious exercise, do not let
your horse run or galop very fast for more
than short distance. couple OF hundred
yards or SO, unless you know he IS
fairly we'll used TO this sort OF exercise.
Most saddle-hoTses, il they have any
life at all and are not worked too hard
like to 60 fast, and viii hurt themselves il
you allow it, under the stimulus OF fresh
air good roads, the cOmp0nlOnshlp and
emul alton of other horses aud an ambitious
rider. We will suppose you are fairly
mounted and started upon your way. am
suppOsing you have ridden, perhaps more
than a little, perhaps taken course Of les
sons Of a riding-master Many women
have who are yet apparently incurable
hoTse-kllers. II the horse is strange to you,
or you expect to encounter little rough
country. you will do we'll to ride with a
somewhat shorter stirrup-strap than is
necessary with a horse with whose traits
you are familiar Try, while YOU are walk
ing your horse over the hard pavements and
before you reach the softer roads, TO learn
something of his disposition, his mouth,
whether he be at all inclined TO shy,
or manifest iimidty over objects along the
way and whether any lameness is apparent
in his gait You should be able TO detect
this by tTOtting the horse a little on the
hard pavement ia stretch OF asphalt Is go
for that, and noticing by the sound whether
he sets each foot sQuaTe!y and firmly when
be puts il down. Ii there is the slightest
finch in tTeading any foot you will detect
ii by The lighter sound as he puts that foot
down, and yOu may be sure there Is some
reason for his favoTing II. IL you suspect
such incipient lameness, and have taken
the horse fTom a stable or have borrowed
ii, il would be worth your while to ride
back and have his feet looked at by the
owner OF stableman. 1t may be some
trouble easily 10 be Temedied, stone
in the hoof or loose nail In
the shoe. II the owner Of the
animal looks at his feet and pronounces
them all right or tells you, as most stable
men will. that the horse always acts that
way when first taken cut" you have done
your duty. and cannot be chargeable with
having famed the horse. If he proves the
worse for the trip, while If any serious
trouble is impending you want to know II,
even il it postpones your ride. When you
reach the open country, or soft roads, and
start for canter or gailop. and should OBJ
serve that the step Of one fOreio0t is shorter
than that Of the other, making the horse
seem lame, you may be sure you are not
sitting sQuarely, but are bearing your weight
too much TO one side of the saddle. That Is
one OF the beauties OF a woman's seat upon
q horse. 1t has an endless variety Of capa-