238 ENGLISH SPORTSWOMEN 



appear as if written on text-book lines, with but 

 scant originality, and they rarely convey the im- 

 pression sufficiently that it is impossible to learn 

 only out of books, however painstaking authors 

 may have been when compiling them. Nor are 

 they written enough with the view of guarding 

 against disease. It is true equine ailments, like 

 the poor, are with us always, but the average 

 keeper of a stud does not try- sufficiently hard to 

 prevent the thousands of evils which are bound 

 to attend neglect. In plain language, he does 

 not act sufficiently on his own sound common- 

 sense. 



Glean knowledge from vets and practical 

 grooms and horsemen who rarely read books, 

 and have learnt nearly all they know from the 

 study of horses in actual life : apart from standard 

 words on equine literature. 



The average lady rider is less versed in the 

 ins and outs of stable-management and veterinary 

 which so many of the stronger sex possess. As 

 a matter of fact, a lady who is fond of this subject 

 is invaluable to her husband. Take a celebrated 

 case — Mrs. Arthur Yates, wife, of the owner and 

 trainer of steeplechase horses. You may rest 

 assured that lady knows more about horses than 

 most men. Others of her sex, who are willing 

 to learn, could do the same. Change of mounts 

 alone will give that confidence which is essential. 

 You cannot fall into a natural seat without having 

 this advantage over the lady with a solitary horse, 

 or at most two or three. 



Both styles should be mastered — the Rotten- 



