The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-10-13

tracts my attention. But that is because
l am conventional old fogy, hopelessly
behind the times in the progressive west,
where everybody rides and the women
know how to ride as well as the men.
That is something they never learned
to do till they let the old riding habit
go and got into the new habit of riding
as they ought to.
1t is Saturday afternoon in Hot
Springs, and the principal street is
thronged with town folks and country
folks. Some walk, and some drive, but
most of them ride. Here comes couple
of the best riders in the world, in from
the stock range swinging along at an
easy hand gallop, man and horse one.
They personify the poetry of motion in
ease, grace, speed, strength and safety.
A moment more and they are out Of
sight Here come two more of them
but, no! AS these sweep by like breeze
1 perceive they are two girls, riding
astride like the men, and, like the men,
riding with ease, grace, speed, strength
and safety. This is the first time have
seen anything of the sort, and l watch
them till they are out of sight. But that
is because [ am an old fashioned tender
foot Nobody else notices them nobody
turns the head to look at them; nobody
says anything. And why? Because it is
fashionable in Hot Springs, and in a
good many other parts of the west, for
women to ride sensibly and dress sensi-
bly, for that purpose.
Fancy the sensation of such specta-
Gle in New York-if some woman should
come cantering along Fifth avenue on
both sides of a horse! But why not so
on horse as we'll as on bicycle? The
only reason is that women can ride a
horse sidewise, but cannot possibly cy-
Gle in such an awkward and ridiculous
manner. That is simply thanks to the
horse, which can stand up under what
the machine cannot bear, but it is no
credit to the rider.
Who turns the head now to take a
look at the flying wheels and heels Of
the woman cyclist? Nobody. And just
as soon as the new equestrienne appears
in the east she will find she has the
right of way. The wheel, by mechan-
ical paradox, has proved to be the enter
ing wedge, with power to split conven-
tional prejudice. If few sensible city
women will mount horses as they now
do bicycles, they will soon find them
selves fashionable leaders Of a much
needed reform. The period Of probation
would be too brief to try their nerves
much, and the triumph would be COM
plete. The men would tumble to it aft
or brief stare, because women look so
we'll riding astride. The women would
take to it naturally if for no other rea-
son, and those who now ride the wheel
would not even have to buy a new dress,
because the cycling costume would an
swer just the purpose.
The new equestrienne makes the
strongest possible plea for woman's right
to use her lower limbs and clothe them
to suit her purposes. Why she should
swathe them together for walking, and
for riding swaddle them in something
like her original baby slip on large
scale, are things no fellow can find out
or woman either. There is no reason
why woman should sit askew and
aslant on horse except that some WON
en- have been forced to do so for some
time in some countries, Of which ours is
one. There is every reason why WON
an should sit squarely on horses back
and hold ON with her knees, the way
men do. In many or most countries they
have always done so and do SO still. II
is the natural way to ride. There is
nothing whatever in the difference be-
tween mans and woman's figure to
account for the awkward, uncomforta-
BILE, ungraceful, unsafe and even peril
GUS fashion in which our women are
now forced to ride. They must be good
natural riders not to come to grief often
or than they do. If there be any differ
ence between men and women in con-
formity with horses back, it is decid'
eddy in favor of the female figure.
She can take if anything better seat
than man and get a better grip on
the horse sides. She seems better built
for that than man, whose shoulders
are broader and hips narrower in proper
tion. His seat is naturally less secure
he is top heavy, and his equilibrium is
less stable. What fine riders astride wo
men naturally are is shown in some
countries where men ride races for Their