The New York herald., 1922-06-04

fOr general flulnB IN tnlS country
three kinds of saddles are about equal
in popularity. These are one of the
various notifications of the hunting
saddle. the Western, or as 1t Is some-
times called the stock saddle. and the
Mcclellan. All OF these saddles are
good, having features of comparative
superiority for different uses. The hunt
ing saddle. also frequently known as the
English or Somerset, although there are
slight technical differences. is usually
advised for the beginner.
If the beginner is ambitious to be-
come crack" this advice is good, but
despite the rather lofty assumptions of
some of the riding masters not all be-
ginners expect to become riders like the
polo cup champions. Some people. old
and young. take to riding merely for
.he health and fun they can get from
riding when they feel like it or have
time or can afford an hour on horse
back, and care only to ride well enough
to look happy and attractive and feel
reasonably secure while mounted. For
such riders think one of the American
saddles is more satisfactory. Any saddle
is a little safer if not girthed as
tightly as some riding teachers recon-
mend. A little slipping is less dam
gerous than a burst girth. but care
should be taken not to cause the horse
a sore back by too slack girthing.
No Choice Among Them.
In the special matter of saddles,
horses and riding for lady there seems
to be little choice among the cross sad
dies. A girl who rides well nearly al
ways wants hunting Saddle. as does
a man, and no special model Of this
kind of saddle seems to be particularly
suited to women riders as a class.
Once more must mention an un-
fashionable aspect of riding for modern
girls. A girl who wants to ride makes
a mistake If she discards a side saddle
simply because it is a side saddle. 1t
Is usual in these days to attack the side
saddle in the foolishly wholesale way
that seems to be a fad with people who
start to correct any evil The old time
side saddle was nearly as bad for rid
ing device as the Victorian corset was
bad as garment. But the modern
corset has its uses, and in the right
place the modern side saddle is the un-
beatable saddle for a girl.
Nearly every reason except the right
reason has been put forth in explana-
tion of the unsatisfactory experiences
with the side saddle in this country.
In the case of the old style saddles
many of the charges brought against
them on the grounds of health and
safety were well founded. They were
hard on the horses and I should think
that only an athletic girl could ride in
cnr nIxy Iy,,k
of the evils Of side saddle riding were
results and not causes. 1t must be re-
membered that the girls who were the
contemporaries of the old side saddles
were OF the fair but frail generation,
and girls of our day accomplish feats
in all lines of athletics that would have
killed half of their grandmothers. The
side saddles Of Georgian and Victorian
times were among the victims Of the
sixteen inch waist and the propriety
of calling legs limbs" The young lady
who tainted gracefully at night in the
ballroom was just as likely to faint
gracefully on her park horse the next
morning from the same causes and
get her neck broken thereby.
Modern Side Saddles.
The modern side saddles do not tax
fit horses more than any saddle of the
weight and they are no heavier than
cross saddles of the American type.
They are not hard to adjust; perhaps
the Elsie Dinsmore variety of young
| lad could not put one on properly her.
self, but any modern girl can. The
claim that they are impossible to mount
from the ground and at best are diff
cult to get into Is nonsense. You just
jump on as you would with any other
saddle.
The real trouble with the side saddle
| Is this: 1t requires a particular kind
of horse to carry one. In England and
Europe the side saddle is now as in
| the past the. usual way to mount girls
| and ladies. On the Continent only the
women of the better classes. who can
afford expensive horses and harness,
ride horseback. In England the type
of horse commonly used for riding Is apt
to be a good side saddle type, and any
girl who wants to ride can get one
without trouble.
But in the United States and Canada
| 1t Is different. The wide prevalence OF
trotters and trotting bred horses make
this type the most numerous of the light
horses. consequently they are the most
available for the average rider While
any healthy trotter may be readily
made into more or less good horse for
riding astride. not one trotting bred
animal in hundreds Is of the right shape,
carriage and disposition to carry side
! saddle.
When 1t is possible to secure horse
|