ORIENTAL WOMEN. 429 



more gallant than the old English method, for the lady, 

 after being seated sideways on the horse's croup, had 

 to run the risk of being knocked off by her cavalier, 

 who vaulted into the saddle in front of her. The plate 

 illustrating this nice performance shows that the man 

 had to stand with his left leg in the stirrup and put his 

 weight on the saddle with his hands, while he raised his 

 right leg over the lady's head. Having lived in the 

 East, I am aware that Oriental women ride astride, but 

 I have not seen any of them voluntarily go out of a 

 walk. It is not difficult to trot and canter in a man's 

 plain hunting saddle, but I think our conformation 

 requires the assistance of knee rolls for jumping. We 

 may see even fair horsemen thrown by a horse suddenly 

 stopping dead at a fence, an accident that rarely occurs 

 to a woman in a side saddle, as the grip afforded by her 

 crutches gives her greater security of seat. 



A large number of men's saddles have recently been 

 purchased in London for the use of American ladies 

 who desire to adopt cross-saddle riding. They intend 

 wearing frock coats and breeches made exactly like 

 men's hunting breeches, and top boots ; but as the 

 frock coats are tight-fitting and follow the contour of 

 the figure, I do not think that the costume will enhance 

 the elegance of the wearer. In the Tiergarten at 

 Berlin I saw a German lady riding astride in a kind of 

 divided skirt, and as she was rather portly, her palfrey 

 appeared to be fully caparisoned. If the cross-saddle 

 were to be generally adopted by women, it would be 

 but a revival of an ancient custom which was in use 



