The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-09-02
Horsemen and Horsewomon.
From Inc weekly Hor.e wotId.

ing horsemen that it seems superfiuous to
saw anything more about them and shall
only mention them by way of comparison,
writes Il woman who loves horses, In the
Spirit of the Turf. Why don't we have
more horsewomena Not to follow it as an
occupation to the exclusion Of all others,
but for profit as well as amusement, should
the circumstances of the occasion demand
it. Even the rough duties of the hostler
have been performed by the fair sex.
MANY times in my life when The hostler
would get intoxicated, and he would get
the quarter-boots ON upside dowh, ETC.,
have | gone to t. e stable and adjusted
these necessary articles, and very often,
after these occurrences became frequent,
did I take the position of hostler almost
entirely until IA new man was procured,
but it was usually necessary to fall back
on me quite often. Still, a woman knows
nothing about horse. | would not like
20 see sister Of mine perched upon a
suIky driving races. Oh, no! that would
be equally as much out Of place as for
President Cleveland to expectorate on the
carpet of the blue room What believe
in is this That the wife should be a
partner in whatever occupied her lord is
engaged in, and not always silent part
ner either. If your husband is a farmer
be farmeress ii he is Il horseman be a
horsewoman, and it will add much to dom
este happiness Few women are good
drivers simply because they do not take
the pains to learn, and a great many men,
after going throug the usual course of
instruction, are not fit to handle the reins
at all. One of the best drivers in America
weighs about $50 pounds; aud, again,
many women pull on the reins as if they
were ropes, and torture the unfortunate
animals that they attempt TO drive. But
when a woman has natural love for driv-
ing, aud cultiyates it, she is apt to handle
the ribbons superlatively well. 1t comes
easier to the gentler to have light hand
than il does to men, There is no excuse,
therefore, for bad driving on the part of
women, and yc;, as "A rule, they never take
pains to learn the art To witch the
reins, to jerk them by way of making the
horse 20, is about as bad fault as can be
committed in driving, and it is favorite
habit with women. Being able to sit in
the family carriage and hold the reins
while it is drawn by the old family horse
that knows no more about driving than
the one who is endeavoring to pilot him, is
not my idea of Il horsewoman or what she
should be- ! do pity the farmers wives
and daughters if they are not horsewomen
of the genuine type-able to drive any
thing from the mule team or three-year
old colt on down to the family horse.
And even then when she has mastered the
art of handling the reins, is she barely
equipped for even a short journey behind
one of these noble animals. She should
understand how to catch horse from the
pasture, which, no doubt, has not had har-
ness on for months; manufacture har-
ness ont of what material there is at hand
we will say the parts of two or three
sets of harness hitch him and she is
ready for the drive. Any woman who
drives should be able to hitch her own
horse and understand fully the need of
every strap the harness is composed of;
then in case Of breakdown she will have
some idea how to repair the wrong tenn
porarily until she can do better. There
are other reasons why woman should be
able to hitch her own horse, In the
country few people keep hostlers, and the
men on the farm are apt to be away in the
field when the horse is wanted, and il a
woman cannot hitch her own horse she is
compelled to postpone her drive; and all
men are not obliging enough to do it IT
they are on hand Then comes the caring
for yonng stock, as well as old, and who
can do that better than woman? Her
line of work requires patience, and this is
very essential when handling horses. How
often, from various reasons and causes, has
the young colt been left to depend On its
friends for support before the age of wean-
ing Who then goes several times u day
with milk to the little orphan? And in
many cases colts raised in this way thrive
unusually well. Is it liberality in the
owner of colt if he gives it to his wife
when its dam can't raise it Or Is it lack
of patience to take care of it? | think
you will answer that it is not liberality,
but rather, laziness at least, that has been
the way in cases which came within OBJ
seryation. The great George Wilkes,
whose name is family word wherever the
trotting horse is known. was raised by
woman, his dam having died when he was
foaled. He was cared for chiefly by the
wife of his owner, and for several weeks
the diet of this famous youngster con-
sisted of cows milk and Jamaica run
sweetened with loaf sugar. There is still
another instance where the trotting horse
business is indebted to woman. The
famous family of trotting horses known as
the Clays, are descended from Henry
Clay, beautiful black horse whose father
was Andrew Jackson Now the life of
Andrew jackson was saved by a woman.
His dam belonged to one Daniel JEFF
frey, who lived near Philadelphia, where
he owned some large brick kilns. Before
the little fellow was an hour old he had
the misfortune to roll into clay-pit where
there was large quantity Of clay mixed
and ready for making into brick. He was
ulScONCTed just III Liuic " s5V1 nun oho
alive Covered with sticky clay, and SO
weak that his pastern joints actually
touched the ground, the foal presented
most wretched appearance, and Mr.. JEFF
frey offered to give any workman, who
would kill and bury this colt, dollar for
his trouble. The murder thus invited
was about to be done by one of the en-
ployees, when Mrs. Jeffrey, woman of
The right stamp, appeared on the scene,
She declared if any man or boy laid FIN,
ger on that colt, except in kindness, he
should never eat at her table again. This
declaration saved his life. Mrs. Jeffrey
took charge of the colt and he soon grew
strong and we'll He became, as ] have
implied, one of the very best and fastest
horses Of his time.
The amount of cruelty to horses which
women might prevent, if they took any
interest in the matter, is incidentally large
fine of the commonest sights in the coun-