The morning call., 1893-01-15

How to Ride Gracefully
and Well.
SUGGESTIONS TO WOMEN.
A Riding Masters Opinion of the
ss-SaddIe-When One Has
a Good Seat.
QUESTIONS TO WOMEN.
Written for THE MoRNINe CALL.

saudie is Detter Tor women tnan the more
womanly side-seat?"
This is the question that woman pro-
pounded to me in good faith recently,
and question which in various forms l
have had asked me by number of inter-
ested persons since the article upon the
subject that recently appeared in THE
CALL l have had pleasanter experiences
than these questions. as well, though it is
always pleasure to writer to see ideas
regarding which he is thoroughly in earnest
taking hold upon the people he wishes to
interest. 1t has been my pleasure recently
to meet several ladies in Oakland. San
Francisco and Alameda whose interest in
the subject has prompted them to make
practical experiment OF the crOss-saddle,
with the result that they have one ana all
cast aside the side-saddle. preferring the
easier and more rational seat.
do keep talking about this matter" said
one of them, recently. IF only our ladies'
knew how much more pleasure is to be de-
rived from the cross-sadde than is possible
on the side seat, and could be persuaded to
try il. they would all ride astride."
think this is quite true. The trouble is
to arouse the courage of women who ride to
the point where they dare make the attempt
and brave what they deem to be public
opinion. 1t does mol seem TO have occurred
to these timid ones that they, too, are part
and parcel Of the dear public. and have as
much Fight as any one to make public
opinion.
/ was talking on this subject recently
with a well-known riding master, MIR. p.
i. O'Hare of Oakland, who formerly con-
Quoted riding academy in San Franc cisco,
and who. l believe, was the hrst teacher in
that city to take out party Of ladies on
cross-saddles. His opinion con cerBing this
method of riding was decided. "Teo much
cannot be said in favor OF it," he said. ut
is better for the horse on many accounts. 1t
eQualizes the weight he has to carry-a
very important matter If he has to travel
any distance or is ridden often by woman.
He is less liable 10 get sore back. You
almost never see horses back sore from a
mans riding. IL it does get sore it is owing
to carelessness or some defect in the saddle.
|. On the other hand you rarely see horse
who carries side-saddle several times a
week whose back Is not sore. Unless
woman has an almost perfect seat in the
side-saddle (aud that is an exceedingly diff
cult thing 10 acquire) her saddle Is sure,
sooner or later, to gall horses wethers and
produce painful sores that are often very
stubborn in healing.
"Then, again." continued Mr.. O'Hare,
under the eross-saddle it is possible 10 do
away with the blankets and pads that are
now necessary, and which tend 10 make a
horses back tender and to fret aud irritate
the SKIN Too thick blankets and pads do
more mischief than do too little thickness
under the saddle. The advantages Tor the
rider are as many and as great as for the
horse. She is not twisted at the hips, as
women are who ride sidewise. That secure
grip on the knee-hUrn that advocates OF the
side-saddle make such strong point of is
just what hurts woman and makes IL so
hard for her to ride long distance. Most
ladies who ride great deal get sole knees.
OF course. they ought not TO hold the horn
so tightly, but they do 1t from timidity while
LEARNING and than il bepotnAl g9pnpd N fur
to them. OF course, women have TO learn
10 ride astride just as men do, and just as
they have TO learn to ride side-saddle. But
IL is no more difficult Tor them; once they
learn il is far easier, far more comfortable,
far healthier, and, and Mr.. OHare smiled
as though he had touched upon the most i'm
portant point Of all, Il think they look
much better
This have found is the point that decides
the wayerlng opiuions OF most men TO the
side OF the cross-saddle l have heard
many physicians speak favorably OF the
practice from hygienic standpoint. but
the masculine laity occupy another point OF
view, and consensus Of the opinion formed
tterefrom may be summed up in the words
of one of them who said to me once, GU
always looked as we'll as q woman can, sit
ting one-sided on horse, but like to see a
woman ride astrde; they look so much
more shipShape, and the horse looks better,
too"
/ should think horse might look better
under the crosS-Saddle He certainly feels
better. ! am riding sstTide the same animal
that for several years l rode under the side
saddle. | was Induced TO ADOPT the cross
saddle by the reoDenlng after long journey
of an ola fstula in the wethers. caused by
defective saddle, before | owned her. l
shall never forget the supreme satisfaction
she exhibited the first time l backed her
astride. She looked first at one foot
then at the other in puzzled sort OF
way, smeled of each one and tossed
her head wisely after fashion she has
when she has settled some question to her
own satisfaction. fancy she bad before
that held an idea that l was some sort Of
monoped. and was pleased 10 discover at
last that was actually blped. AT all
events she started off very eheerfully on our
ride and was good deal more pleased than
], as, owing TO an unfortunate choice Of
saddles, l was pretty thoroughly disguised
with my experiment. A wel-known So
ciety lady Of San Francisco, who uses the
cross-saddle. first adopted 1t because her
saddle-hOrse, fine "single-footer," refused
to carry her at that gait, although be would
maintain it for any distance when her hus-
band mounted him. She tried riding
astride. and found that he would then
singlefoot for her. No better proof could
be desired that the animal found the
straight saddle more comfortable.
A correspondent has reques ed me TO be a
little more explicit regarding the merits of
different cross-saddles for wOmeD's use. She
asks ME to recommend some particular one.
Most riding mas tiers recommend the Austria
liam saddle for ladies' use.
The real Australian saddle is By far the
most comfortable saddle made. Ii Is heavy,
lightweight one generally weighing thirty
to thlrty-fye pounds, and is even more cum
bersome in appearance than tho absurd
lumber-wagOn of leather affected by our
Mexican neghbors and early Californians.
1t has high peak mot horn and high
cantle; the seat is narrow and we'll
padded, and the saddle is used with either
girth or cincha, has open, steel stirrups,
and owing TO its characteristic tree is
usually thrown up at the back, by padding,
until, viewed from the rear, it resembles a
small mattress, an effect which Is not pretty,
though the result Is delightfully."- CON-
Portable seat.
The distinguishing feature OF the Aus
traliau saddle, however. the feature for
which riding masters recommend 1t for
ladies' use, Is TO my mind its most objec-
tonable one. 1t has, on either flap. just In
front Of the riders knee, large leather
brace. not the roll" of the English saddle,
but a yeritable wall. against which. when
the foot is in the stirrup, the knee Is braced
almost as securely as against the third
horn" of de-saddle. There is also roll
just back Of the stirrup-leather, on each
flap. which further supports the knee. 1t
Is readily to be seen that such a saddle
affords very secure seat, but the very
things that give security while al goes we'll
become elements of danger when an acct
dent occurs. A rider should hold himself
In his seat. Anything that tends TO hold
him there must become source OF peril In
the moment that some time or other comes
to every rider, when the safety of life or
limb depends upon his getting off instantly.
A horse might fall upon woman and
crush her before she could get clear of those
projecting wings and the high camille.
Another objection to this saddle also
holds true of the Mexican saddle. Once
one becomes accustomed to it it is difficult
to ride any other. The woman who rides
three-horn saddle knows how insecure she
feels upon one with only two horns. The
man who performs wonderful feats of
horsemanship In Mexican saddle and