Women in the Field. 83 



vice will be laid down here for the conduct of 

 women in the field. 



They must early learn to trust to their own 

 dexterity and judgment for their safety and posi- 

 tion in the run. 



Riding to hounds may seem easy to one while 

 seated in a comfortable chair in a cozy corner of a 

 drawing-room, but upon a cold, raw, wet, slip- 

 pery day, on the back of a fretful, nervous horse, 

 approaching a high fence with no idea of what is 

 beyond, and doubtful if your horse has power 

 enough left to carry you over or on top of the 

 fence, it assumes an entirely different aspect. 



No woman should ride to hounds until she 

 can manage all sorts and kinds of horses, mount 

 and dismount unaided, jump fearlessly, and be 

 capable of looking after both herself and her 

 horse under any and all circumstances. 



It is hardly to be expected that a woman 

 should hold her own in the first flight of hard 

 riding men, yet I have seen them not only at- 

 tempt it, but succeed, but only through a display 

 of recklessness and dare-deviltry that had a man 

 been guilty of it, he would undoubtedly have had 

 every bone in his body broken. 



I never accord such riders a superabundance 

 of either skill or pluck, but ascribe their per- 

 formances to either ignorance of the dangers, or 



d foolishness upon their part. The after 



talk of "the ministering care of her guardian 



