The Springfield herald., 1902-04-18
RIDING AsTRIDE
OPPOSED BY ENGLISH WOMEN.
They Do Not Readily Adopt the .cu0
tom Fast Growing in Americas
More and More English GIRLS Fol-
low the Hounds-Reasons for and
Against the Use of the Side Saddle.

The euueStriennes of England-and
they ouinumber those OF any other
country in the world-do not take kind
ly to the practice of riding astride
which has of late years been growing
in favor on this side of the Atlantic.
Half II century ago few English wo-
men rode to hounds and up TO recent
date the woman who did not follow
the hunt was regarded askance by con-
ventional society To-day at many u
meet the women equal the men in num-
Der. and it is almost as much Il 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 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 Il hard
riding man II pause. She has several
fine hunters of her own and under
stands horSefiesh almost aS well as her
father. She is only one of Il 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. Il 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 deplore hard
riding by children and insist that it 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
Tending propriehes. but from n preva-
lent conviction that a cross saddle will.
be a drawback rather than aid 10 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 Il stumble on
landing which would throw nine out;
of ten men from the saddle Will 'Sel-
dom upset IL woman: that even when a
horse falls. unless he rolls over. ii wo-
man who is cool and does not lose her
nerve can often keep her seat, while
the horse scrambles to his feet.
A ii those fhinDS u rap pp tpI fpt U
the splendid grip upon the saddle given
a woman by her side pommel. 1t is ad-
mitted that in case of a really bad fall
a woman stands less chance than a
man. because she is hampered by skirtl,
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 Il ten
dency to spine curvature and AinderR
symmetrical development of the body.