The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10

an acquaintance with, and that to do thu
Under no circumstances, though, do !
think woman should DO allowed TO drive
other than perfectly hammered horses
horses who have been accustomed to travel
ling together. Why. there are very few
! men, other than professional whips, who
can manage green. four. or who care tc
have never pulled together.
Under such conditions a lot OF strength
is necessary, whereas. with well-matched
four, a driver with light hand has the
better Of 1t. Last fall a married pair whom
had met in France while they were making
here to engage lessons in four-in hand
driving. They were planning for coach
"The man was of athletic build, strong
and muscular and weighed about 200 pounds
His wife weighed less than 100. When
four, good goers and easily handled.
But for some reason they nearly pulled
that mans arms out and long before the
end OF this first lesson he was quite done up.
Not unnaturally he was quite unwilling TO
have his wife even try them. She was q
OF waiting until the next day to begin. as
she had at first arranged she took her
husbands seat then and there
From the fir she had no trouble what
ever. Although 1t was her frs trial al
driving four-in- hand she, like her hus band,
was more or less accuftomed to hon e.,
and for that reas OIL she held the lines after
fas hion that feemed to suit exactly the
animals she was driving. At all events,
they treated her with much moro con-
sideretion than they had shown to the man
Of muscle.
1.-The four horses I use the most Just
now In giving Lessons to women are almost
perfectly matched and they are very easy
goers. They have no tricks.
When my pupils get out from under my
care. however. they will probably make
the acquaini ance Of other TOURS who may
pull quite differently. For that reas on
think every learner should take suffi ,ient
number of LEI sonp to MASTER theoretically
at leas t, all the ordinary tricks and tempers
that a hor is heir to.
with few exceptions the women who
are going in for fourth hand driving and
who have never before handled the reins,
take their frst lesson under cover. sitting
in chair which Is placed before a ring In
the stable wall to which are attached four
rens. At first mort beginners are 80 awk-
ward that the teacher is obliged to adjust
the lines in their proper place. between
the fingers of the left hand ard then guide
the motions of the whiphand Over and
over again he shows how to pull the lines to
get certain res ults, and how to make the
whip aid in the work.
HIS part VI tile llStTucItlu' VI CouiSt'
every woman finds tame and tritie dis
couraging, but as rule when the drill Is
over The pupil sails out head in air as proud
as If she had just fooled coach up Fifth
avenue.
Her next lesson is learned in Central
Park Generally she sits humbly by the
coachman's side and only from time to time
takes the lines. After the third lesson no
one would dream of asking her to sit any
where but in the coachman' seat and once
there she soon begins to feel as IL she could
give her teacher points.
Learning to drive four-in-hand ia not the
least expensive amusement a woman can
indulge in The lowest price charged for
a single lesson is $50. and even by the dozen
or two doZen--some women take thirty
lessons the price is only tride less than
that. There Is one teacher in town who
can get s25 a lesson if he can only make room
for the pupils.
almost of horror one ambitious woman OF
moderate means who had quite set her
and who thereupon made a descent upon
one of the well-known whips.
-Why, that isn't high, madam, was the
whips rejoinder. when you, consider
that the coach and horses and teacher
According to one expert there are few
English women who can drive four-in-
hand as we'll as professional. but none
at all in this country.
are taking wonderfully to driving.
and many Of them are already splendid
whips. SO far. however. the English
women beat them"
But then it was an Englishman that
said it.