Riding for Ladies: With Hints on the Stable

CHAPTER VIII. SADDLING.

The choice of a lady’s side-saddle is a most important matter, and ought not to be treated in any other light; yet with multitudes of equestrians it seems to be regarded as almost a thing of nought. “Look out for a second-hand saddle for me, there’s a dear!” writes a country lady to a town friend; “I am actually going to ride!” And away goes the town lady on a search through alley and slum, and comes home the triumphant purchaser of an awful instrument, which gives a sore back to the bearer of it in no time at all, and is then sent to be stuffed, coming back to its owner all the worse for the process, owing to the fact that the stuffing has, in the first instance, been entirely over done. Articles of this description never give any satisfaction, and would be dear if purchased at half-a-crown. Economise as you will in other directions—put up with cheap hats, habits, boots, and gloves, if you cannot really afford any better,—for, odious though they be, they can prove injurious to yourself alone,—but let your saddle be of the best. Go to a first-class maker; get measured as accurately as a man does for a pair of hunting breeches—tell him that you need the best materials and very best workmanship—and if he knows his art he will require no further directions. It is almost superfluous to repeat that a well-made side-saddle should be level-seated, and should have no perceptible dip, or sinking, from front to cantle. It ought to be amply long for the rider, and the points of the tree should fit close to the horse’s sides behind the shoulder-blades. I object to stitching, on either near or off side, as being unworkmanlike; but an unpractised rider may have the seat of her saddle covered with buckskin, which will afford her a more secure grip than she can obtain from the ordinary slippery leather. The gullet-plate should either be dispensed with altogether (as mentioned in a former chapter), or be sufficiently arched to prevent its pressing on the horse’s withers. I prefer the former plan, and have found it answer admirably. The up-pommel should be barely high enough to afford a secure catch for the right leg. When higher than this it sticks up like a horn beneath the habit, and is extremely disfiguring.

The leaping-head should be movable. I do not mean that it should merely turn round and round, or bend downwards with a hinge, but it ought to be capable of being placed higher or lower, according as the rider may desire. This can be accomplished by having two, or even three, holes made for it within varied distances of one another: a plan which will be found of especial benefit in cases where a saddle is purchased with a view to more than one lady making use of it—and a tired rider will frequently find it a great boon. Of course, in such case, the leaping-head must be a screw one, a thing to which I know many ladies object on the ground that it gets out of order. It really ought not to do so,—nor does it, except when entrusted altogether to a groom, who keeps unscrewing it every day as if for mere pastime. It should not be touched at all, except when necessary for cleaning purposes, or to lubricate it with a little oil, and it will be well then to do it yourself, unless your servant happens to be an exceptionally good and trustworthy one, or that you are too grand in your ideas to put your hand to anything in the shape of work. I hope, however, that I am not writing for any such silly person. You should never be above looking after everything connected with your own riding gear. It will not lessen your dignity one whit: rather the contrary—for your servants will then see that you are not a simpleton, and will respect you accordingly. The lady who shudders at a duster, and wonders where puddings grow, is in reality not an atom more to be despised than is the foolish-minded equestrian who thinks it is inelegant to know anything about the conduct or management of her own stable. I like to see a woman able and willing to put her hand to everything that comes in her way, without feeling in the least lowered by it. One of the most perfectly ladylike women whom I have ever met, on one occasion groomed and fed her own hunter, when the stableman who had charge of him was found tipsy, on her return one wintry evening from a long day with the hounds; and she did it, too, before ever removing her habit. Sense and humanity combined.

I may add, before passing to another portion of my subject, that where a screw-pommel is used it will be found a wise plan to have it made with the thread of the screw reversed; by which I mean that the pommel should turn from left to right, in place of the ordinary way. By this arrangement the left knee pressing against it serves to fix it all the more firmly, instead of, as is usual, misplacing it.

I am often asked what ought to be the weight of a side-saddle, and what the size. Much must of course depend upon the dimensions of the rider. About eighteen pounds is, or ought to be, the average weight of an ordinary saddle, although my own were much lighter. I do not, however, see that there is very much to be gained by riding in too light a saddle. A few pounds one way or the other can make little difference (except in racing) to a good horse, and light saddles are sometimes apt to give sore backs.

With regard to size, I consider that a lady of moderate height—say five feet three, or thereabouts—ought not to purchase a saddle less than nineteen inches long. Any good maker will, however, give the proper proportions.

The stirrup-leather of a lady’s saddle is generally attached to it by an iron ring, but I greatly prefer the spring-bar attachment, same as is used with men’s saddles. Many ladies say that it is apt, with pressure, to come away, and if this be the case, a greater objection could scarcely be urged against it, but, for my own part, I have never found it do so.

Peat & Co., of Piccadilly, have brought out and patented a really first-class article in this line, namely, Born’s saddle-bar, a contrivance which instantly releases the foot in case of a rider being either thrown or dragged. I can confidently recommend it.

A very simple way, which some like, is to have the stirrup stitched to a single leather, which is then passed through a ring, and drawn downwards to within an inch or two of the end of the flap. It is next passed round the horse’s belly, and buckled to a single tongue on the other side. This keeps the flaps of the saddle close, and the rider is enabled by it to shorten or lengthen her stirrup from the off side—an advantage not to be overlooked.

Girths are of various kinds. Some are in favour of the elastic webbing; others like the Fitzwilliam, which is a very excellent kind, and thoroughly to be depended on for general work. For myself, I strongly advocate the plaited girths, made of either hide, horsehair, or cord. Being open-work they admit plenty of air, and are calculated to prevent chafing.

I do not, as a rule, care for saddle-cloths, but no doubt they preserve the inside of a saddle very much. If used at all they ought to be very thin. To save a sore back, a sheepskin is best A leather saddle-cloth will keep pliant if in constant use, but if laid by for a while it should be moistened with a little oil. Cod-liver will be found the most efficient for the purpose.

I am not in favour of any of the so-called safety stirrups. Nicholl’s patent is the best of them; but I cannot help regarding them all as danger-traps, having twice nearly lost my life through using them. I therefore strongly recommend all lady riders to adopt a perfectly plain stirrup, such as is used by men, only of course smaller. A neat little racing stirrup served me faithfully for years, and I cannot advocate any other. Safety stirrups are perpetually getting out of order, and my experience of even the best of them is that they are liable to catch the foot and confine it in a dangerous manner, which the plain stirrup never does.

To ride with a slipper, even for a very young beginner, is strongly to be condemned. To allow children to use it is simply to train them to ride from it—thus sowing the seeds of a most pernicious practice. It feels so snug and comfortable under the foot that there is an irresistible desire to rest and dwell upon it: an evil of which I shall hereafter have occasion to speak.

Having now said all that I consider useful concerning saddles and bridles, I think it will be expedient to give a few instructions about putting them on; for, as I have already said, a lady or gentleman who cannot do this without the aid of a servant has yet (no matter how accomplished in every other way) something very important to learn.

To bridle a horse, go quietly up to him, holding the headstall in your hand. Make much of him for a moment or two before putting it on: not at all because you think that he is going to fight against it—no lady’s horse would be guilty of doing such a thing—but because it is a nice and right habit, and one to be put in practice upon every reasonable occasion. The way in which unthinking grooms drag poor horses’ heads about, and force heavy bits into their quiet, unresisting mouths, is enough to make a humane heart feel grieved and angry together. Gentleness is, however, a woman’s attribute, and the kindness with which most women usually regard animals is one of their most loveable traits.

When the headstall has been nicely fitted, take a glance over it, and note that the forehead-band is loose enough, and that the throat-lash will admit at least two of your fingers between it and the skin. Fit the snaffle-rein next, by the buckles, and see that it falls about half an inch below the angle of the mouth. If you are in the habit of riding with a curb, adjust it very carefully, observing the rule laid down in my chapter on bitting, of resting the mouth-piece on the bars of the mouth, just above the chin-groove. I know it occasionally happens that some irregularity about the teeth renders this a difficult thing to do, and where such is the case the bit must of course be slightly moved, but it ought to be placed only just as much above the obstacle as will be necessary to clear it. You must next hook the curb, taking the off side first, and leaving a link in reserve. Then come to the near side, and leave it length enough to afford two links—making sure also that it lies quite flat on the chin-groove, and has not the smallest tendency to rise upwards at the draw of the reins. Ascertain above all things that the chain is sufficiently slack, and that it does not inconvenience the horse. A good test will be for you to insert the first and second fingers of your left hand between it and the animal’s chin: slipping them in, so that the palm of your hand shall go beneath the under lip of the horse, and the back portion of your two fingers be exposed to the pressure of the chain; then draw the reins quietly with your right hand, and if you feel an unpleasant pinching, slacken the chain a link, and try again until you have it right. I said in my last chapter that the action of the mouth-piece on the bars of the mouth was entirely controlled by the branches, which also regulate that of the curb-chain, both on chin and bars. The pressure which it effects on these constrains the horse to obey the will of his rider. Now, when the curb-chain is left to hang in too loose a fashion, the pressure cannot be effected at all, and the branches go backwards, because they meet with no resistance from the curb-chain: and thus the action of the cannons on the bars of the mouth is altogether defeated.

Saddling comes next to be spoken about. Place the saddle clear of the play of the shoulders, if meant for hunting; when the adjustment is for ordinary riding, an inch or two further back will do. It is a common error to place the saddle out of position, in order to make it appear as if the horse bridled better, or had a finer shoulder than he really has; but it is a very wrong thing to practice constantly, and can only deceive the most inexperienced judge’s eye.

If you want a horse to go particularly fast for a short distance, you may adjust the saddle so that it shall be as far forward as possible without interfering with his action: as the chief office of the hinder part of an animal is to propel weight, while that of the fore part is to bear it up.

When the saddle has been nicely placed, take up the first girth, and then the hinder one, drawing both well back from the horse’s elbows, so that they shall neither chafe nor inconvenience him in his action. Do not girth him up too tightly at first, especially if he has been recently fed; nor must you on the other hand leave him too much space for the air to make way through, taking into account that some horses are terrible rogues, and will actually swell themselves out ever so much when they feel the girths tightening upon them, which shows that they are more sensible than many who ride them, inasmuch as they object to being too tightly laced. I had an arrant rogue once, who used to present the appearance of a drowned pup whenever I came to girth him up, and would gradually collapse inward, like an indiarubber ball with a hole in it, whenever he thought he had me sufficiently gammoned. That horse’s face would have won a fortune for him as a type of injured innocence when I let him see one day in a practical manner that I was up to his tricks; but we continued excellent chums, nevertheless, and as it was to a male friend I subsequently sold him (who would, of course, clap a leg each side of him, and so distribute the weight), I said nothing about his little dodges, but laughed to myself when, a few days later, I saw the dear old man (his owner) riding his wily purchase in the Row, with girths so slack that he could have put both feet into them, stirrups and all, without much inconvenience, and my cunning friend trotting demurely along under him, with the most lamb-like countenance in the world.

It is almost unnecessary to say that while tight girthing is for every reason to be avoided, it will not do at all to leave the girths of a lady’s saddle too loose. When they are so, the uneven distribution of weight which a side position necessarily entails will be sure to draw the saddle on one side, or perhaps even cause it to turn: in which case the consequences will be both dangerous and unpleasant.

I think it an excellent plan to lead a horse about by the bridle for a minute or two after girthing, and then try again whether he is tight enough, by inserting a hand between the girths and the belly, and seeing whether they need any further looking after.

I must not omit to say that if you are using a saddle-cloth or sheepskin, you should, before finally girthing up, draw the front part of it well forward on the withers, in order that the gullet-plate of the saddle (if that article happens to be made with one) may not press upon them.

The last thing for you to do before mounting will be to pass your forefinger under the girths at each side of the horse’s body, and smooth away any wrinkles that the action of girthing may have caused in his skin.

It will not be amiss here to say that many ladies have asked me for an opinion concerning the advisability of riding occasionally on the left or off side of the horse. I cannot see any objection whatever to it for ordinary riding, although I cannot advocate it for hunting; and where young girls find it expedient to ride a good deal, I should be apt to recommend it highly, as a means of preventing their growing awry. The saddle necessary for it is a somewhat awkward-looking article to those unaccustomed to view such things, but it may be satisfactory to know that the Princess of Wales rarely uses any other kind.

LEARNER, ON OFF-SIDE.

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