The Washington herald., 1916-02-20

year or two ago anyone had asked
fond and careful and proud Eng
llsh mama if she was raising any
Of her daughters to be a stable boy
the chances are ten to one that the fond
and proud English mama would have
clucked her lovely daughters to her side
IKE a careful hen, given the questioner
one look of supreme contempt through
her lorgnette or whatever the English
mamas use in such circumstances. and
proudly swept from the room in answer
But now the case is different. If Won
ask a proud English mama the same
question she is very likely to reply that
although she didn't raise any of her lovely
chicks with such a training nevertheless
Mary is helping out the horse marines
down at a certain naval camp on the
blank-blank coast and that ArgeHna ig
helping to break remounts over in
blankety blank county.
She is very likely to say it today with
as great pride as her contempt would
have reached a year or two ago Things
that were once impossible, reaIly-not-done-
you-know, or absurd from a society stand
point a year or two ago, are now done in
England through patriotism or necessity
with the utmost cheerfulness and almost
thoughtlessness.
War Is both great leveler and a great
up-turner. Otherwise there would be no
lovely young ladies from some of the best
families of England donning the complete
ly masculine outfit of short breeches. rid
ing boots and coat and serving in stables
as stable boys, horse breakers and handy
men in general about the horses.
In some Of the remount depots. that is
depOts where new horses are broken in
for war purposes that are maintained here
and there throughout the British Isles by
the government, women only are employed
The English, as a race, are notorfousIv
fond Of outdoor life, and as result there
are hundreds of Engiishwomen and girls
who know how to handle, break and care
for horses as we'll as do the men
They have offered their services freely
to the government and have been of in
calculable value mainly for the reason that
the government has found it necessary to
IequISlJIOu Lue services OF every able bod
led jockey, horse trainer and stable bow in
England for use near the trenches or far
behind them in caring for the mounts
used by the English Cavalrymen.
The EnglishwOmen could not do this
work so near the battle lines for OBJ
vious reasons. But they could be of i'm
mense value in the horse concentration
and breaking camps at home and it is
here that they offered their services
Dressed in riding caps, knee breeches.
boots and short coats, and looking as sweet
as a picture, they clean out the stables
every morning. feed and water the horses
and clean their coats and then take them
out Tor exercise during the day
Most Of these women are hunting women
and one Of their tasks among others is to
train horses which come to the depots soft
and unfit. The regime at the depot is sim
liar to that at a racing stable or training
stable, and the ladies make most efficient
hands at these jobs. In exercising the
horses the use of the sidesaddle is for
oidden, hence the mems apparel
Many Berkshire women, under the lead.
ership Of Cecil Alden, NJ. F. H. South
Berks, are conditioning army remounts at
sns Of the depots in Berkshire. Miss Iris