The New York herald., 1922-05-28
Polo and Steeplechasing, Like
Aviation, Are Only for
Skilled and Daring.
RIDING NATIONAL ASSET
Suitable Horsemanship for
Me-, Women and Children
Discussed by an Expert.
ny MARGUERITE F. aAYLIss.

cnliufeu OF Il ldfnlly. II Is Dlt un-
wise to compare them, and open favorit-
ism may lead to disaster. Nearly every
body who is interested at all is a cham
plon of one sport over all others. and
is apt to regard 1t with the partially
OF parent for an only child, notwith
standing which most genuine sport
lovers, however attached to a personal
speciality. look with sympathetic inter-
est at excellence outside their own line.
Special cases excite wide interest in
classes of sports or athletics not gem
orally followed with enthusiasm by out
siders, but in this twentieth century we
have three supreme sports whose fas-
cination never fails. They are polo.
steeplechasing and aviation. None of
this trio Is or can become one of the
universal pastimes of all kinds OF peo-
pie. They are not like croquet. Never
theless the fact that they are only for
the daring and the skilled in no way
lessons the attraction of any one of
them. Mighty few bystanders would
have been willing to leave Trepassy
Bay with Hawker, yet who was not
excited over his departure?
OF this triology of kingly athletics
two are essentially sports of horseman-
ship. The more that people generally
know about horses and riding the more
will these two be appreciated and the
more will they flourish. A nation with
thousands of people who ride more or
less regularly and well has naturally
better horses and horsemen for polo
and racing in time of peace and for
cavalry in time of war than has the
nation whose average riders are only
a few hundreds in number. The cavalry
that ruined Germany at the Marne. men
and horses were bred in Englands
hunting fields.
Riding Repays Rider.
or course, horsemapship is like every
other phase of athletics or sports; of
the many who have some interest in
each only the few become champions.
But it is doubtful if the average de-
votee of any sport derives more amuse-
ment and profit from his pastime than
does the average rider of horses
Such articles as this and most longer
treatments of the subject, are not in
tended for experts. but are frankly
written for the ordinary user Of horses.
although, by the way. experts usually
read each others opinions with an in
terest and friendliness that ought to
be universal among the top notchers in
all sports, and even the best some
times pick up a hint in the exchange
of ideas. Horses are one subject that
nobody ever knows all about
One of the first topics to be touched
is one that in the present condition of
public opinion Is bound to be unfash-
ionable, yet conformity to a fashion Is
not always proof Of the soundness of
a custom or an opinion. In these days.
in common language, equality is too
often taken to mean the same thing
as similarity. Children, little girls and
little boys should by all means be
taught alike in riding until they ap-
proach the age at which they are chill
dren no longer. But there should
really be a certain difference between
suitable horsemanship for a young man,
and suitable horsemanship for a girl or
q lady.
1t is not easy to describe this dis
tnction. 1t Is hardly to the point to
say that lady's riding should be char
acterized by grace, for elegance is no
less to be desired in a mans style. 1t
would be unreasonable to insist that
lady's riding should always be less
strenuous than a mans: that depends
upon the physique and the skill of the
individuals. Some active girls can ride
hard with ease, safety and propriety.
Neither is it merely matter of appro-
pirate mounts; some girls are a match
for decidedly rough horses; some girls
can keep mean horses in order better
than can most men. and a very slim
and ladylike young girl can be the very
essence of graceful beauty astride
raw boned, II hand. flea bitten old
gray hunter.
/ think myself that girl should not
indulge in really violent riding pro-
longed for more than a few minutes.
except In case of emergency or need.
But a girls horsemanship should be so
developed that In case of necessity she
could engage In rough riding to the
very limit OF her physical strength with
out placing a strain on her actual riding
ability.
Dangers of Rough Riding.
Very severe exertion on horseback Is
dangerous. 1t Is not In the list of safe
amusements. Anybody, no matter how
sound or how experienced, or how ac-
3 complished is liable to be injured in
violent riding. A young lady. no mat
ter how daring or how able, Is some
what more apt to be injured than is
young man, either by the occurrence
of an accident or by the sheer strain
of the extreme exertion. In the second
place, an injury to girl may be fol-
lowed by more unpleasant after effects
than In the case Of injury to man.
Finally and chiefly girls are too valu-
able to be rislSed that way.
can state the case In no better way
than To say that girl who Is the equal
In horsemanship OF an accomplished
man should be his equal in feminine
way, and not his rival In mascu-
line way j can no more define femi-
nine riding than / can define what Is
femininity, but most people recognize
either at sight.
Children are never too small to ride.
They should by all means ride gently
until they are old enough for bones,
muscles and internal organs TO have ac-
uuired strength by hardening use. /
have seen mere baby, certainly not
past g. sit up with superb poise and
feariessness on big, proudly stepping
pony led by mounted attendant. }
cannot remember back TO the first time
L mounted horse myself.
IL Is safer than most persons realize
to trust children out on horses. There
snems to be n natural affinity between
the right kind of children and the right
kind of horses that takes the edge of
the risks. I have known horses that
we're really n "handful' for most men
10 20 gently and good naturedly for
children 1t might be worth while &c
mention another point in connection
with this. although all horsemen know
II and few laymen believe H. Children
or anybody else for that matter, arc
actually safer In these days OF sudder
exaffic crises on horse OF some spirit
esan they are with q slug. vide
awake horse sees lot that escapes
the notice Of duh one, and " gentle