14 RIDING FOR LADIES. 



CHAPTER III. 



PRACTICAL HINTS. 



How TO Mount. 



Previous to mounting, the lady should make a practice 

 of critically looking the horse over, in order to satisfy her- 

 self that he is properly saddled and bridled. Particular 

 attention should be paid to the girthing. Though ladies 

 are not supposed to girth their own horses, occasion may 

 arise, in the Colonies especially, when they may be called 

 upon to perform that office. Information on this essential 

 and too oft-neglected point may not be out of place. Odd 

 as it may sound, few grooms know how to girth a horse 

 properly, and to explain myself I must, for a few lines, quit 

 the side-saddle for the cross-saddle. Men often wonder 

 how it is that, on mounting, the near stirrup is almost 

 invariably a hole or more the longer of the two. The 

 reason is this : the groom places the saddle right in the 

 centre of the horse's back and then proceeds to tighten the 

 girths from the near or left side. The tension on the girth- 

 holder, all from one side, cants the saddle over to the left, 

 to which it is still further drawn by the weight of the rider 

 in mounting and the strain put upon it by the act of spring- 

 ing into the saddle. This list to port can easily be obviated 

 by the groom placing the heel of his left hand against the 

 near side of the pommel, guiding the first or under-girth 

 with the right hand till the girth-holder passes through the 

 buckle and is moderately tight, then, with both hands, 

 bracing it so that room remains for one finger to be passed 



