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RIDING AND DRIVING FOR WOMEN
RIDING AND DRIVING
FOR WOMEN
BY
BELLE BEACH
BELLE BEACH
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1912
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1912
Copyright, 1912, by
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
Published October, 1912
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
Published October, 1912
To
MY FRIEND
WITHOUT WHOSE HELP THIS BOOK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
MY FRIEND
WITHOUT WHOSE HELP THIS BOOK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
INTRODUCTION
This book does not pretend to be an exhaustive treatise on the subject of horsewomanship. It is offered merely as a collection of the most important points gleaned in my career as a horse-lover and professional horsewoman. While from experience alone a rider may evolve good form if she is a natural born horsewoman, yet this is so rare that, with most of us, a knowledge at the start of the general fundamental principles which are the basis of form in riding and driving, is essential. It was my good fortune to have my mother, Mrs. Emily S. Beach, lay the foundation for me and, similarly, these chapters may aid some of my readers.
Nothing in this book is hearsay. That which takes but a moment to tell has taken me years to learn; learned as a pupil; learned as a teacher; learned by observation; learned by exhibition, by many a triumph, by many a heart-break; much of it a pleasure, much a hard task, but repaid always by my comrades through it all—the horses.
I desire to express my thanks to Messrs. Brewster & Co., Mr. Herman Haas, Messrs. Martin & Martin, Messrs. Whippey, Steggall & Co., The Durland Co., and Mr. P. Nardī for the many illustrations and suggestions which they have kindly given me. Many of the illustrations are from photographs which my friends have been kind enough to send me.
CONTENTS
PART I—RIDING CHAPTER PAGE I. Form in Riding 3 II. Hands 14 III. Mounting—Side-Saddle 31 IV. Riding Astride 37 V.
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tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Hunting 58 VI. Show Ring 77 VII. Hints on Riding 91 VIII. Correct Dress for the Saddle 108 IX. Saddles and Bridles 133 X. The Saddle Horse 157 XI. The Selection of a Saddle Horse 180 PART II—DRIVING XII. Form 193 XIII. Four-in-Hand and Tandem Driving 217 XIV. Show Ring Appointments 245 XV. Hints on Driving 250 XVI. Dress 259 XVII. Bits and Bearing Reins 264 XVIII. Harness 273 XIX. Gymkhana Games and Suggestions for Private Horse Shows 282 Index
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class="right">291
ILLUSTRATIONS
- Portrait of Author
- Correct Position of Body in Side-Saddle
- Incorrect Position of Body
- Correct Position of Legs
- Another Position of Legs
- Incorrect Position of Legs
- Incorrect Position of Legs
- Correct Position with Horse in Action
- The Position of the Child on the Left of the Picture is Correct and that of the Child on the Right is Incorrect
- Correct Position of Reins
- Reversing Position of Curb and Snaffle Reins
- Correct Position for Park Riding
- Reins in Both Hands
- Mounting without Assistance
- Mounting with Assistance
- Mounted
- Dismounting with Assistance
- Dismounting without Assistance
- Correct Costume for Young Girls Riding Astride
- Correct Position for Riding Astride
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href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@42229@[email protected]#illus-043" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">The “Cowboy” Western Costume and Saddle Mounting English Fashion Mounting English Fashion (Another Way) Mounting Military Fashion Mounting Either Fashion Dismounting Dismounting Over Post and Rail A High Jumper and Hunter (Taconite) Giving Him His Head Over a Jump (Heatherbloom) Positions of Hands in Hunting Side-Saddle, Position Rising, Hands and Body Forward Astride, Position of Legs, Hands, and Body at Top of Jump Side-Saddle, Front View, Rising Coming Down A Good Type of Hunter, Bred in Virginia (Philosopher) A Good Type of Hunter, Bred in the North (Ripple) Correct Hunting Costume Sandwich Cases and Flasks Lady’s Park Hack Type (Corinne) Lady’s Park Hack (Marksman) as
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He was when First Shown Marksman a Year Later, after He had been “Fined Down,” when He Won the Championship Lined Up Safety Stirrup, Open Safety Stirrup, Closed Riding Clothes New Style Costume for Park Riding Old Style (1887) Postilion Coat A Winter Habit A Smart Summer Habit Stiffed-Legged Boots. Field Boots Puttees Lady’s Park and Hunting Saddle Side-Saddle with Wide Pommels and Safety Flap Side-Saddle with Narrow Pommels and Safety Flap Up Side-Saddle with Stirrup Adjustable from Off Side The Same Side-Saddle, Off Side, Showing Spring Flap which Holds Flap Up or Down at Will, Permitting Rider to Adjust Girths or Stirrup Leather While Mounted Diagram for Measuring Side-Saddle Double-Girth. Fitz-William Girth. Corded Girth Adjusting Stirrup from Off Side Plain Snaffle. Bit and Bridoon. Bit and Bridoon with Cavesson
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id="Page_xiii"/> Correctly Saddled and Bridled for Hunting Varieties of Riding Bits Bits and Bridles Lady’s Cross-Saddle with Rolls. Lady’s Cross-Saddle, Plain Flap. Light-Weight Saddle, Flaps Cut Forward Champion Saddle Mare (Lady Bonnie) Combination Type (Lady Macdonald) English Type of Lady’s Park Hack Light-Weight Thoroughbred Lady’s Riding Horse (Indian Flower) Thoroughbred Hunter (Sunday Morning) Perfect Type of Heavy-Weight Thoroughbred Riding Horse (Heartspring) Show Winner in Park Hack Classes (Sonia) High-Stepping Park Hack (Roslyn) An Old-Fashioned Combination Type (Warwick) Combination Type (Mayo) Lightfoot, Winner of Ladies’ Saddle Class at Age of Twenty-Three Show Pony Polo Pony Welsh Pony. The Best Type for Children Kentucky Bred Lady’s Riding Horse (Dixie) Points of a Horse
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href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@42229@[email protected]#illus-185" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">Lady’s Western Park Hack (Pink Lady) George IV Phaeton Inspection of the Harness Getting Length of the Reins Stepping into the Trap “Orthodox” Position of Reins and Whip “Modern” Position of Reins with Loop Correct Position for Shortening Reins Pulling Up Styles of Ladies’ Traps, Country and Town Starting Pulling Reins Through Terret after Pulling Up A Perfectly Appointed Road Coach with Postilion (London-Brighton, 1907) Position of Four-in-Hand and Tandem Reins in Left Hand Four-in-Hand Harness Winding Lash after Catching Thong Measuring the Reins Lady’s Four-in-Hand Lady’s Four-in-Hand Turning to the Right High Tandem Cart Tandem from Bay
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Shore, Long Island, Show, 1911 Correct Tandem Harness for Show Ring Correct Position of Hands Driving Four-in-Hand or Tandem Perfectly Appointed Lady’s Pair Lady’s Single Basket Phaeton Western Style of Gig Horse Driving a Pair to a George IV Phaeton Basket Phaeton Correct Groom’s Livery Bits Proper Adjustment of Bearing Reins Single Phaeton Harness Single Road Harness Double Road Harness English Phaeton Pair Harness A Hempstead Cart (Newsboy) A Prize-Winning Runabout Entry Judge’s Stand in Open Air Show Gymkhana Games at Country Show
RIDING AND DRIVING FOR WOMEN
PART I—RIDING
“I think I could turn and live with animals,
They are so placid and self-contained;
I stand and look at them long and long,
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God;
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class="line">Not one is dissatisfied. Not one is demented with the mania of owning things;
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago.”
—Walt Whitman.