THE RIDING HABIT. 61 



stoutness all these discomforts will be exagger- 

 ated. The C. P. or the Parisian la Sirene is un- 

 doubtedly the best corset for riding purposes, 

 for it is short, light, and flexible, and not preju- 

 dicial to the ease and elegance of good riding, 

 as is the case with the stiff, long-bodied corset. 



The hair should be so arranged that it can- 

 not possibly come down during the ride. To 

 effect this, it must be made into one long braid, 

 which must be coiled upon the back of the head, 

 and fastened firmly, but not too tightly, by 

 means of a few long hairpins. The coil may 

 be put on the top of the head, but this arrange- 

 ment will be found very inconvenient, especially 

 where the hair is thick, for it will make the hat 

 sit very awkwardly on the head. The hair 

 should never be worn in ringlets, as these will 

 be blown about by the wind, or by the move- 

 ments of the rider, and will soon become so tan- 

 gled as to look like anything but the " smooth 

 flowing ringlets " of the poet. Nor should the 

 hair be allowed to stream down the back in long 

 peasant-braids, a style mistakenly adopted by 

 some young misses, but which gives the rider 

 a wild and untidy appearance. When the horse 

 is in motion these braids will stream out on the 

 breeze, and an observer at a short distance will 

 be puzzled to know what it is that seems to be 



