Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-25
THE MODERN sloesAooLe.
why n IL That Woman l. Safer %
Horseback Than Man u.


why II I. That Woman l. SAFER on
Horseback Than Man d.
About the year 1880. by ma accidental
circumstance. womcna riding was rovo.
iutionizcd. An Englishman made q
wager to rido q siccplochase on n side
saddle. A preliminary trial showed
him, imagine, tho rashness Of tho
attempt. So TO minimize the danger
BY enabling him to sit safely. Mr. Eta.
hardingo Oldacre, / think, invented
tho third ponnncl Looking back one
wonders how It was that women had moi
long before invented % Tor themsolyc,
under stress Of urgent need. But ono
generation followed another and no one
seems to have thought Of II. Once IN
vented. however, Il was Immediately
adopted, and n three pommclcd side
saddle came into general use. This IN
vcntion az once rCiusiatcd womcns rid.
ing as fine art by producing a new dc
Inrturc under improved conditions. For
the grip obtainablc by ~ means give,
the greatest possible security In eX.
change for tho least possible expenditure
Of fofcc.
Saddles Of this kind were cumbrou,
and very heavy. but during the follow
ing fifty years the weight Of conslmc
ton was gradually reduced, and ht,lc
by littlo every unnecessary tom wac
cut away. till In courso Of time the THREE
pommclcd saddle evolved into the long,
light hunting saddle actually In use NJ
present. II differs Ia several ways from
Is prototype. In this modern saddle
the long narrow cantlo ~ built over /.
sort of tunnel, which takes In the horses
wilhcrs aud allows the seat Of the saddle
10 he fiat, while tho old fashioned scat
slopcd mp md tilted tho riders kneo
with much the same effect as riding up
hill.
All traces Of tho outer pommol have
disappeared. leaving a FREQ space whor
no resistance Is necessary. Finally, the
left hand pommcl is placed high mp tho
thigh, where the grip il strongest, the
pressure having formerly been placed
just above the knee, NO that a shorter
strip was necessary. Now, such greater
leverage led 10 an exaggcuiion oil
movement, which prevented al rhythm
for obviously the closer the rider can
vt the more possibility there will be OF
being "ono' with the horse. Of riding ~
as to blend with hi. notion, Of, 40 10
speak, following the pattern Of his
movement.
In tho modern saddle all notification,
tend 10 diminish effort aud by greater
security to enable the rider to sit very
still. Strength 81 seat seems TO me t.
be- tho result. roughly speaking, Of three
grips. caused by the opposing pressure
Of the two legs against the ppmmcls
OF these grips. the first results from III,
downward pressure u the whole length
Of tho right thigh hnd the upward prcss'
ure Of the left. Tho second Is the grip
jus, abovc the knee, Of the right thigh
against tho pommel, INVOLVING the press
uro Of the leg just above the ankle on
tho saddle Hap below. This grip i.
countcrhalanced by the loft legs inward
pressure NJ tho knee. And, third. thu
hook back Of the right leg over tho pom
mel ns opposed to the pressure OF the
stirrup foot.
Moreover, by sitting Tar back the
leverage Of these three grips Is in.
creased, and tho consequent distribution
Of the weight makes tho balance right.
The legs must DO immoyablc ON thc
saddle. but above the waist the body
sways aud gives to tho horses action,
and from constant habit good rider
adjusts tho balance almost by instinct,
and carries on the horses movements in
multiplicity OF tiny curves which pas
impcrceptibly FROM one step 10 another
without any jerk or abrup,ncss OF move
ment.-English Illustrated Magazine.