Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-20
HORSE WOMEN IN FINE FORM
New York Riders Show More Skill
and Better Outfits.
MORE OF THEM SHOW SKILL
Gold spurs, JcweIIed Crops and the
smartest OF Habits DemRnde
by some New York


NEW YORK, Feb. Bone OF the orders
placed with a Fifth avenue jeweler the
other day was for a gold spur to cost 500.
It was intended for a New York woman
who may be seen almost any day riding In
Central park. Gold spurs, the jeweller said,
are not now and spurs OF silver
many Of them deliberately chased. are get
ting TO be almost plentiful.
This statement Of the jeweler bears out
in part the statement Of a New York riding
teacher that OF late the cost Of New York
riding outfits and the form shown by New
York women riders In the saddle have at
trscted much attention from visiting
strangers These strangers are further sur
prised to find that the features referred to
are not confined to any one class, that
some of New York's best equipped riders
are seldom seen In Central park except be-
fore 0 o'clock in the morning and late In
tho afternoon and are self-supporting
women.
A riding teacher told of a young woman
belonging to a wealthy family who, taking
lessons early to avoid criticism from more
experienced companions and meeting sew
eral mornings In succession one Of these
smartly equipped riders, told her teacher
that she meant to get q new habit and a
smarter hat and neokwear and that her
mount, she thought, was not nearly so
stylish as the horse the other woman rode.
The rider who thus aroused emulation Is
employed at a high salary in a large de-
partment store. Whether she rides with a
silver spur is not certain, but 1t Is certain
that her riding outfit is irreproachable.
In the opinion of the head of a New
York riding school instead Of bringing up
the rear Of the procession with makeshift
h.ktA ..-a an ,,atohoH nt,fflt oa xyaa apra
the case, New York's women riders are
now the, best and most expensively APP
pointed in the world. In line with this
development New York's leading riding
schools now have luxurious sitting rooms
and dressing rooms reached by elevators
and with maids In attendance, and their
stables contain horses of every size, kind
and quality to meet the requirements Of
every possible variety of pupils besides
dozens of horses the private property OF
riders who make use of the school.
Riding masters say that the difference
between the old and the new riding
schools is no greater than the difference
between the past and present style Of rid
ing practiced by New York women and
that until a comparatively recent date ac-
compllshed women riders in this part Of
the ountry were very few, When riding
first came into general favor. in New York
women were content to take a few lessons
and then indulge in the pleasant belief
that they could ride. with the result that
compliments given to Americas women
riders usually went to southern women,
and the English woman's superior seat
was everlastingly quoted to aspiring New
Workers by riding masters. most Of whom
were imported.
All this has been changed. Riding ex-
perts who ought to know no longer give
the palm to southern women. Speaking
generally, most New Workers who keep a
saddle horse In commission all winter for
park use and ride regularly in the coun-
try during the summer ride quite as well,
often better, than the average southerner.
and with few exceptions their equipment
challenges comparison.
I'm this part OF the country said a rid
ing master. where the short-backed.
docked-tail cob is for the time being the
fashion, riders present q smarter appear
ance from a northern point of view than
do the southern riders. who stick to the
long-baeked, long-tailed Kentucky horse,
considered by them far more graceful than
the cob.
"As a matter OF fact, the cob is not
nearly SO suitable for use in the south as
In the north. In Virginia, for example,
It is the custom for riders to drop in for
a social call, lasting often several, hours.
during which the horse, left standing. per-
haps, at the gate. needs a long tail to
keep off the flies. Up north, where even
the summer stables Of New Workers. are
built more like a house than a barn and
riders are not In the habit Of making So
oial calls, a saddle horse finds no particu-
lar use for a long tail.
1T is rare nowadays to see a woman
or a young girl mounted on the slow-going,
sure-footed family type Of horse. once con-
sidered good enough for any purpose. No,
a horse must have action and style these
days. Riders have an eye to smart ef-
fects, such as they are pleased to think
are had from riding an imported cob or a
cob bred In this country Of imported stock.
and, although In the schools very small
horses and ponies are kept for the use of
children and a few long-tailed horses for
those who prefer them, the most popular
mount Is the cob. And for heavyweights
II Is certain that the cob will carry best
and last longer"
Speaking OF children's mounts, a reason
given by teachers for the better seat OF
later generations OF New York women is
that they began to ride when very young.
II is told that at one time there were
riding teachers here who advised against