Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-31

q n ARDLY does the daughter of
wealthy and fashionable parents
master the art of speech and To-
comotion before she is placed in
the saddle and taught to ride.
There is nothing that counts so
heavily in the equestrian accomplish
ment as an early start, and years of as
ISOLATION with horse and saddle later on
never quite balance with the training
received while the pupil is almost too
youthful and small to sit astride a pony
One of the best English horsewomen of
this generation owes her perfect seat and
mastery of horses to this juvenile train
ing. Her father followed the hounds
and often took his little daughter for a
preliminary canter over the turf before
the exciting days sport began. She sat
cross saddle in front of her father and
held the reins in her tiny hands while
he gripped them more firmly just behind
hers and guided the animal. But to the
child it was real riding and her youthful
initiation into the art of handling a mount
always stood her in good stead, and she
is now considered one of the best, if not
the very best, horsewomen that ride to
hounds. OF course she might have be-
come an excellent rider even if she had
started in the more usual way and at a
much later period. but she recommends
an early training for both girls and boys.
GROSS country riding is not offered to
every girl, but there is always the
riding academy to which to go, where
there are competent instructors to look
after the youngest pupils as well as the
older ones. Several academies are at the
disposal of the New York young girl rid
ers. Every possible convenience is ar
ranged for their lessons and every facility
offered to make them masters of the horse.
The equestrian education of the young
girl is managed with the most careful
attention to details and with course
Of lessons any of them can learn to ride
fairly well unless she be hopelessly stu
pid and out of sympathy with horses.
Saturday mornings are usually given UP
to the instruction of children and young
girls. During the winter months, when
outdoor sports are practically out of the
question, the riding academies are well
patronized. This form Of exercise is one
of the best that can be followed, and there
is always a great deal of pleasure in tax
ing a brisk canter around the ring or q
tour of the Park when the pupil has
reached that point in the accomplishment
where outdoor work is permitted So
many other lessons and interests divide
the time of the future society belle that
she does not have all the riding she would
like during the winter months
TT HE morning riding classes begin al
nine. Ten o'clock is, however, the
fashionable hour, and from then on til
noon the street in front of a well patron
lied academy is lined with smart looking
automobiles and carriages. When the
young pupil is not accompanied to the les
son by member of the family she is
placed in the care of a maid, whose duty
it is to report progress in lessons, as vel
as to look after the girls belongings while
she is occupied with her instructor. There
are rooms provided with lockers where rid
ing clothes can be kept, if liked, but the
majority of the pupils prefer to wear theil
riding habits to the academy, with long
loose coat as covering This can be left
in charge of the maid while in the RING
and donned again as soon as the driver
has dismounted.
The musical and fancy dress rides are
a feature Of the seasons entertainment
and are greatly enjoyed by the partici
pants. On Saturday mornings there is al