8o RIDING FOR LADIES. 



on a side-saddle is a very firm one, but when she is called 

 upon to ride half-broken horses and to be on their backs for 

 hours at a time, traversing all sorts of country, she un- 

 doubtedly is heavily handicapped as compared with a man. 

 Mrs. O'Donoghue, much to the damage of her own con- 

 tention, so clearly demonstrates my views that I venture 

 to quote verbatim from one of that lady's published 

 letters. "My companion was in ease while I was in 

 torture. Because he had a leg on either side of his 

 mount, his weight equally distributed, and an equal support 

 upon both sides ; in fact he had, as all male riders have, 

 the advantage of a double support in the rise; con- 

 sequently, at the moment his weight was removed from the 

 saddle, it was thrown upon both sides, and this equal 

 distribution enabled him to accomplish without fatigue 

 that slow rise and fall which is so tiring to a lady whose 

 weight, when she is out of the saddle, is thrown entirely 

 upon one delicate limb, thus inducing her to fall again as 

 soon as possible." As for mere grip — the upright and 

 leaping-heads versus both knees — the security in either case 

 is about the same, but the woman's position in the side- 

 saddle is the more tiring and cramping of the two, and in 

 complete control over the horse, the man's position on the 

 horse has a very decided advantage. 



