iv PREFACE. 



been induced to prepare the work by the ur- 

 gent solicitations of many lady friends, who, 

 desirous of having thorough information on 

 horseback riding, were unable to find in any sin- 

 gle work those instructions which they needed. 



Many valuable works relating to the subject 

 could be had, but none especially for ladies. 

 True, in many of these works prepared for 

 equestrians a few pages of remarks or advice 

 to horsewomen could be found, but so scant 

 and limited were they that but little useful 

 and practical information could be gleaned 

 from them. The writers of these works never 

 even dreamed of treating many very important 

 points highly essential to the horsewoman ; 

 and, indeed, it could hardly be expected that 

 they would, as it is almost impossible for any 

 horseman to know, much less to comprehend, 

 these points. The position of a man in the sad- 

 dle is natural and easy, while that of a woman 

 is artificial, one-sided, and less readily acquired ; 

 that which he can accomplish with facility is 

 for her impossible or extremely difficult, as her 

 position lessens her command over the horse, 

 and obliges her to depend almost entirely upon 

 her skill and address for the means of control- 

 ling him. 



If a gentleman will place himself upon the 



