The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01
RIDING xsTRIDE
IN THE SOUTH

An article in the June Bit and Spur
comes from the pen of Miss Nannette
Lincoln the clever southern girl who is
making a name for herself in New York
Journalism. 1t will be read with interest
in this city. Miss Lincoln tells of the
growth of popularity of the cross saddle
and illustrates with handsome photo-
graph of Mrs. Augustus Benners of this
city mounted on her bay geldinS, Gold
Bond, with a group of enthusiastic
southern horsewomen from other cities
who follow this style of riding. The ar
ticle is reproduced in full:
II was not thought that riding astride
would meet with favor in the south.
where people are known to be extremely
conservative. but the custom has grown
until 1t has become very fashionable in
such places as Atlanta, Birmingham, New
Orleans, Memphis, Jacksonville, st. Au-
gustine Nashville, Asheville. n. c., and
Thomasvllle and Aiken, S. c.
The French woman rides astride,- wear
ing zouave trousers of chevot, coming
well below the knee, with leather leg
gings, or high boots, and cloth cap. The
Parisienno woman of fashion has turned
aside public opinion on her own houe-
wards and appears astrde The costume
designed especially for cross saddle rid
ing is a great relief from the conventional
and trying habit to which women have
been martyrs for years, but in many
cases the cross saddle habits are too
striking TO become universally popular.
In this country there is frequently fu-
tile effort to conceal the fact that the
woman is riding astride. In England and
France women make no attempts at
skirts. appearing frankly in costume
suited to the cross seat.
There the faVorite costume is a pair Of
boomers of tie same material as the
coat, cut rather full. The costume in the
south Is short, divided skirts and the reg
ulation riding coat. Some of the cross
saddle skirts are fairly long. and even
i'm this mode of riding there is still room
for dress reform. The divided skirt to
the knee is the one most in favor now.
The cross saddle seat in the west Is
universal and anyone who dares venture
forth with side saddle is dubbed "a
tenderfoot" Buffalo Bill indorses cross-
saddle riding to such an extent that he
declares that It will be only a few years
before side saddles will not be called
for at all.
One feels thankful for he progress
of the world when one turns the fash
ion pages of old books and sees tn Q
quaint, picturesque riding habits of
the thirties and ffties. The long
sweeping skirt and the queer, short
basque" that was part of the habit,
seems almost relic of the Middle
Ages. With a costume of this SURF
it is not singular that the following
caution regarding my lady's mount was
laid down: THE ladys horse must be
we'll trained and docile before the pu-
pill attempts to ride. because a lady on
h orseback being greatly at a disad-
vantage In the use of limbs and spurs
Is generally Incapable of breaking n
horse by the aid of a whip alone, as
the folds of the habit would generally
receive the infiction from the use of
the spur; therefore, the whip alone is
the chief aid a lady can depend upon. -
In the large driving academies all
over the county little girls are Taught
to ride on boys saddle, and ther
the change to the side saddle comes
when they become sufficiently skilled
equestriennes to safely change their
method or riding. A great many. how
ever, stick to the cross seat At Asne-
vile, N, c., ana in all of western Nort,,
Carolina cross saddle riding is the
meth Cd used by all the fashionabies.
Miss Ruth Hanna created the vogue
al Tn Townsville, Ga. Little girls who
have grown into the dignity OF misses
and misses who are on the erge OF
young ladyhood still cling to their
cross saddles Many of the older woin-