THE RIDING HABIT. 55 



tightly. If trimmed with good fur, this jacket 

 makes a very handsome addition to the riding 

 habit. 



Poets have expatiated upon the grace and 

 beauty of the long, flowing riding skirt, with its 

 ample folds, but experience has taught that 

 this long skirt, though, perhaps, very poetical, 

 is practically not only inconvenient but posi- 

 tively dangerous. In the canter or gallop the 

 horse is very apt to entangle his hind-foot in it 

 and be thrown, when the rider may consider 

 herself fortunate if she escapes with no worse 

 accident than a torn skirt. Another objection to 

 this poetical skirt is, that it gathers up the mud 

 and dust of the road, and soon presents a most 

 untidy appearance ; while if the day be fresh 

 and breezy its ample folds will stream out like 

 a victorious banner; if made of some light ma- 

 terial the breeze will swell it out like an inflated 

 balloon ; and if of heavy cloth its length will 

 envelop the rider's feet, and make her look as if 

 tied in a bag. 



To avoid all these dangers and inconveniences 

 the riding skirt should be cut rather short and 

 narrow, and be made of some heavy material. 

 Two yards and a quarter will be quite wide 

 enough for the bottom of the skirt, while the 

 length need be only about twelve inches more 



