84 Horse and Hound. 



angel'* and "the all-protecting influence of provi- 

 dence over drunkards and fools" sounds very 

 well, but some day she will be brought in from 

 the field on a stretcher. 



As to the horse a woman should ride in the 

 field, the most necessary qualifications are good 

 mouth, level head, sure foot, both in jumps and 

 on the field. He should have good withers, not 

 too high and thin, as a sore back will follow, yet 

 withers should not be lower than croup, as it 

 will be almost impossible to hold the saddle in 

 place; for the same reason a broad back is perfer- 

 able to a narrow one. 



It is a mistake to have too small a horse for a 

 woman, especially if she rides with side-saddle; 

 the same weight on a side-saddle is much harder 

 on a horse than a man's saddle. 



A five foot woman should use not less than 

 a 1 5- 1 horse, irrespective of her weight. 



Few women are good judges of pace, or the 

 amount of endurance a horse is capable of, and 

 are inclined to regard them as a machine of un- 

 limited power. They should early learn to gauge 

 a horse's capacity, distressed breathing, and la- 

 bored action are the most positive indications of 

 distress. A game, ambitious hunter will go until 

 he drops in his tracks. Aside from the cruelty of 

 riding an overdone horse, it is exceedingly dan- 

 gerous. 



A woman's horse should be broken for walls 



