The Winslow mail., 1898-08-20
THE HORSE FAVORED.
Popularity of Equestrianism In
creased by Cycling.
People Were Taught by the Wheel
to Ride ia the Open Air and
Row the Riding Academies
Are ProsperSnE.

Are Prospering.
The horse is not dead yet. When the
wheel spun into such favor a few years
ago, people prophesied that riding
horses would soon have nothing TO do
but stand in the stalls and kick their
heels in idleness. For a year or two
that was pretty much all that most Of
them did do. But at present there is d
decided reaction, and the horse spranc-
ing more gayly and more numerously
than he ever did.
Managers of the riding academies
say that they.have never had SO prosper
Gus a winter as the one just past. The
proprietor of a well-known riding
school near Central Park says that his
books show a business of $4,000 in ex-
cess Of the previous year He states
with pleasure that collections are so
easy that he feels as e he were in
rose-colorcd dream and might wake up
to find that his money had turned to
fairy gold. AS for the wheel, he
blesses it devoutly and says it is at the
root of all his good fortune.
| L
guise, as far as we are concerned" he
said. "I'll admit that it was disguised
at first. But I never joined the chorus
of calamity howlers. 1 predicted from
the start that the horse would stand the
test, and so he has"
GLOW has the wheel helped you?"
"This way: People went crazy over
it. Thousands ard hundreds Of thou
sands of people who had never taken
out-of-door exercise learned to ride a
wheel, and spent hours every day in the
open air. When a man or woman
finds out what great thing it is to
have exercise in the open air, it settles
the thing The habit once formed, you
aren't going to coop that man or that
woman up for the rest of his days.
"The wheel, as say, taught this hab-
it to many thousands of people, ever so
many wealthy people. Then everybody
took to the bicycle. The world
wheeled. Some men and women didn't
want to be in the crowd, SO they decided
to give up wheeling except once in
awhile. But what they couldn't &c was
to make up their minds to give up out
of-door exercise, and, consequently,
people who would never otherwise have
learned to ride horse have taken it up
now,
"Of course, so late in the season, things
are quiet here at the academy. People
have gone to the country and taken
their horses with them. But during
the winter and the early spring we were
simply rushed. AS for next fall, [
have so many engagements that if
everybody came back at the same time
wouldn't have enough stalls for the
/ horses. 1t is astonishing how many
children are learning to ride. The
greatest increase is in that direction.
Children's ponies were never in such
demand.
"In past seasons I have often had to
take horses in pay for board bills. This
year only one horse was turned in on
me in that way. had to engage nine
riding masters, more than [ have ever
| had before. People of all ages have
been learning; even old ladies have
been taking lessons. Another leason
/ for the return to the horse is thai stout
people, who ride to reduce flesh, found
that the wheel is not so effectual as a
horse. Then, too, good many physi-
clans prescribe a wheel and prescribe
horse"
"The trotting horse is still the most
popular?"
ooh, yes. The Kentucky-gaited horse
isn't in demand here in New York ex-
| 4 Il,
thing easy. Down in Kentucky it's diff
ferent They ride for hours there. so
they need an easy gait. Here in New
York people want the horse which gives
them the best exercise in short time"
do any New York women ride
astride?"
81 don't think so. 1t won't ever be
| fashionable in New York. I won't allow
any woman to ride astride in my school.
That is, not at present. If it ever be-
comes customary that will be differ
ent; but I am not pioneering. I be-
lieve they ride so little in Chicago and
other places"
GLOW about cross-country riding
among women?"
"Of course there is nothing Of that
sort in the academy now, but we have
had more pupils in that line during the
winter than ever before. You see, I
am justified in saying that the wheel
! has proved blessing to us. They
couldn't very well ride to hounds on
wheel, anyway. But the love of being
outdoors, which the wheel instilled into
many people, has reacted amazingly for
the greater popularity of the horse. -
N. Y. Sun.