The Meeker herald., 1902-04-19
RIDING AsTRIDE
OPPOSED BY ENGLISH WOMEN.


More and More English Girls Fol-
low the Hounds-Reasons for and
Against the Use of the Side Saddle.
The equestrlennes OF England-and
they outnumber those of any other
country In the world-do not take kind
~ to 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 up to asrecent
date the woman who did not follow
the hunt was regarded askance by con.
ventlonal society. To-day at many 4
meet the women equal the men in num-
her, and 1t is almost as much a matter
of course that woman should ride
to hounds as that she should dance.
More and more. too English girls
are being trained to cross-country 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 pluck3 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
u fence or ditch that will give hard.
riding man a pause. She has several
fine hunters Of her own and under
stands horseflesh almost as well as her
father. She Is only one OF host of
young girls from England's best fami-
lies who are making records on tho
hunting field.
The theory is that II. as was former
ly the custom. 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
Vulnerable good times in addition to
lacking one of the accomplishments
most admired by Englishmen. On the
other hand. some doctors depl0re hard
riding by children and insist that 1t 10
injurious to the growing school girls
health.
1t Is in connection with these youth
full 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 80
many American women. Occasionally
with the Devon and Somerset stag
hounds several women may be seen
riding astride, but that is almost tho
only instance Of the custom In all Eng
land.
The opposition comes. not from any
conventional prejudice or fear of Of
Tending prophecies, but from preva-
lent conviction that cross saddle will
be drawback rather than aid to wo-
mans success in the hunting field.
Experts point ont the fact that the
percentage of women thrown is far less
than that of men-that a stumble ON
landing which would throw nine out
of ten men from the saddle will sell
dom upset woman: that even when
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
: woman by her side pOmmel. 1t is ad-
mitted that In case OF a really bad fall
a woman stands less chance than =
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 a ten
dency to spine curvature and hinders
symmetrical development of the body.