The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-03
Ghe Aerala ana Melvs
SOUTHERN HORsEM ! NsHIP.
The southern People the Best IIorSemsh IN
the Worid-Dtoiin~ Of the N"b,.
AIT In the North.
[New Orleans Picayune.

NOT many years ago electricity
WAS made the moving power Of stree,
cars in cities, and when the bicycle
WAS seen on every street aud road it
was declared that there would soon
be little use for horses as means Of
transportation, while the military
cities declared that the long-rsnge
guns had made the use of mounted
troops impossible, and the romantic
picture Of the war horse rushing with
his rider into battle would soon be-
come mere memory.
The experience of the Confederate
war for independence, supplemented
by those of England's war with the
Beers, have demonstrated that mount
ed troops are of greater value than
ever. AS the American people are
going to be called on many times to
prove their prowess in battle, and as
volunteers will continue for long
time to make up great part of the
United States army in time of war,
it becomes of the greatest value that
the Americans should be good horse
men.
The superiority in horspmnnship
of the people of the Southern States
of the Union has been frequently
commented on, but it appears that
this superiority in past years has
grown decidedly more marked. In
the Northern States It seems that the
people no longer rido horsos, but have
abandoned the saddle for the wheeled
conveyance. In 4 recent issue of the
New York Country Gentleman, a pc
riodioal devoted to rural interests,
Mr.. Ernest H. Crosby, of Duchess
County, in that State, writes az fol
lows:
"Visitors of tho South usually find
much to criticisr, but during Il recent
trip through Georgia and the Caro-
linas, l noticed one thing in which
the South is far ahead of us at tho
North, and that is horsemanship. In
any Southern town OH any day of the
year you will zee dozen mon on
horseback, who have come in from
the neighboring country and are
transacting their business there, and
1t ls not uncommon to see string of
saddle horses tod up before church
door dnring service. Every man who
owns horae or keeps Il horse in the
South knows how to sit on his back,
and as riding is fine manly exer
else, conducive to vigorous health
and self respect, the habit is Il clear
advantage to the community.
"In the North, as we all know, our
farmers have forgotten that the horse
oan bear man on his back, aid the,
would as SOON think of riding y COW.
donbt, if on an average, there is
one saddle to fifty farms Ia the State
of New York, and our boys are
brought up in the stable without
ever getting astride of Il horse. 1t
ID very great pity and distinct loss
to the character of our people. The
buggy is no substitute for the saddle.
With its comfortable seat and high
back, saddle invites an erect and vi
rile attitude. On large farm it il
far more convenient to euperintend
operations from saddle than from u
wagon or on foot, and there ia a good
deal of business in town, not involv-
ing large packages, which can also
be we'll attended to on horseback,
and the saving in wear and tear on
wheels would be worth considering,
too.
"We are usually told that people
ride in the South because the roads
are too bad for wagons. If good
roads mean the neglect Of this exer
oise, l would 60 slow in urging the
improvement OF them. But in the
North we seem to fall between two
stools, for We have neithcr the good
roads nor the horsemanship. As
matter of fact, the good roads excuse
is no excuse at all, for in England,
where the roads are excellent, every.
body rides, and the farmer spends
goodly part of his life in the saddle,
and would open his eyes wide at tho
idea of 4 farmer who did not know
how to ride.