The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-12
WOMAN HoRsE-BREAKERs.
Mrs. Annie Benson Tells the Secret
of Being a Good Rider.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
pretty woman on a mettlesome horse
is a pleasing sight, but unless she rides
with the ease and grace of a true horse
woman the beauty of the picture is
spoiled.
Authorities upon the subject agree that
eveA a homely girl, has she mastered the
art of riding good horse as it should be
ridden, may approach TO handsomeness,
or at least have her attractiveness con-
siderabIy enhanced. Obviously, then, girls,
pretty and otherwise, in justice to them
selves, should learn 10 ride horseback.
The girl on a horse who bounces, who
clutches nerVously the pummel of the
saddle and breathes in sasps as the ami
mai turns it's head TO brush off a fly, does
not enjoy herself and is not pleasant to
look upon Few city-bred girls can get
on a horse during the summer months,
when on their vacation, without exciting
feelings of contempt and ridicule in the
breast of every country lass who chances
10 see them.
There lives in Baltimore county, near
Fowblesburg, a slender, blue-eyed country
woman, who has been. riding horses ever
since she remembers anything. She be-
gan riding when she was years Old and
her father used to put her on the back of
a great animal while he guided the plow
behind. She Is Mrs. Annie Benson, the
wife of Jacob Benson, prosperous farm
er near Fowblesburg, and il is said In the
neighborhood that she is the equal of any
rider in the county, man or woman.
Mrs. Benson is q years old and is slim
and delcate-looking. She does not weigh
over 10 pounds, but is a born rider She
has broken colts, been kicked and bitten
by horses, thrown out of buggies and had
el..,. ,ssrfna of II hta
has never been thrown from the back of
a horse. In speaking of the difficulties
confronting girls just beginning to ride,
Mrs Benson said: .7
THE entire secret of being a good ri
der / think, lies in not being afraid of
your horse. This Is the one great essen
tial, but there are some other things Just
as necessary to know. When a girl gets
on a horse If she is in the least bit fright
ened, the horse knows il, and thar knowl-
edge has a demoralizing effect upon it,
especially If it happens to be a thinking
horse. You simply have to keep your
nerve steady and do your best.
"a woman has one trouble in riding
that a man avoids and that is the wear
ing of a riding skirt, which prevents any
freedom Of action and hampering in every
way ! used 10 wear very long skirt,
until one day a horse | was riding caught
is hind foot in the skirt and tore il off
L
of walking length and find it much bet
ter. We have one horse on the place
which declines to allow a skirt 10 get any
where near him. The moment woman
approaches or attempts to mount him he
Immediately begins to make mischief. |
have ridden this horse, though, by get
ting on him while he was not looking
and when he had a set of buggy harness
on instead of saddle.
"A girl who is learning TO ride horse
back should start with very quiet horse.
one that will stand still while she Is
mounting and won't jump off the mo-
ment she lands on hts back. In mounting
you must never put your foot in the stir
rup first because II you do the horse
might shy before you were fixed in your
seat and would be thrown
The way every woman who knows any
thing about getting on a horse does is TO
pull her steed up to the horse block, or
il you can't get q horse block, take a