The Dolores star., 1902-04-18
RIDING AsTRIDE
OPPOSED BY ENGLISH WOMEN.
They Do Not Readily Adopt the Gus.
tom Fast Growing in America
More and More English Girls Fol.
low the Hounds-Reasons for and
Against the Use of the Side Saddle,

The cquestriennes of England and
they ouinumber those of any other
country In the wOrld-do not take kind
ly 10 the practice of riding astride
which has of late years been growing
In favor on this side of the Atlantic.
Half century ago few English wo-
men rode to hounds and mp to IL recent
date the woman who did not follow
the hunt was regarded askance by con.
ventional society. To-day at many a
meet the women equal the men in nun.
ber and 1t is almost as much n matter
of course that Il woman should ride
TO hounds as that she should dance.
More and more. too. English girls
are being trained to cross-coutry rid.
ing at an early age. Girls of fourteen
and fifteen are no uncommon sight on
the hunting field. and many of them
ride as straight and as pluckily as any
of their older sisters.
Miss Bette Benton. though only
fourteen. has followed the Tiverton
hounds and the Devon hounds regular.
ly for three years and will take many
n fence or ditch that will give hard.
riding man pause. She has several
fine hunters of her own and under.
father. She is only one of n host Of
young girls from England's best fami.
lies who are making records on the
hunting field.
The theory is that IT, as was former
ly the custom. II girl does not ride to
hounds until after she comes out She
is hampered during her first few sea.
sons by her poor riding and misses in.
M At.
lacking one of the Accomplishment,
most admired by Englishmen. On the
other hand. some doctors deplore hard
riding by children and insist that Il, is
Injurious to the growing school girls
health. \.
1t is in connection with these YOUTH
ful riders that the arguments for and
| against the cross saddle are raging
The older English women do not take
to the cross saddle. as have done so
many American women. Occasionally
| with the Devon and Somerset stag
hounds several women may be seen
| riding astride. but that is almost the
only instance of the custom in all Eng
| land.
The opposition comes. not from any
conventional prejudice or fear of Of
ieHuliS pToprletleS. Dut from pfcNa-
lent conviction that cross saddle will
he a drawback rather than aid to wo.
mans success in the hunting field.
Experts point out the fact that the
percentage of women thrown is far less
than that of men-that stumble on
landing which would throw nine out
of ten men from the saddle will sell
dom upset woman: that even when a
horse falls. unless he rolls over, wo-
man who is cool and does not lose her
nerve can often keep her seat, while
the horse scrambles to his feet.
All these things are accounted for by
the splendid grip upon the saddle given
4 woman by her side pommel. 1t is nd.
mitted that in case of really bad fall
n woman stands less chance than q
man, because she is hampered by skirts
and the pOmmel. but such accidents
are. fortunately. rare.
| In the case of the young and grow.
ing girl matters are rather different
Many doctors contend that much rid
Ing on the side saddle induces n ten.
dency to spine curvature and hinders
symmetrical development of the body