THE LADY'S DRESS ON HORSEBACK. 45 



floating, perfectly loose — untrammelled by so much as a 

 ribbon. The object of this is that you may not have any 

 temptation to remove your hands from the position in 

 which the master has placed them, or anything to divert 

 your mind from the subject with which it is engaged 

 Were you to take your riding lessons with hair plaited 

 neatly up in a coil, you would probably become conscious, 

 after a round or two of jolting, that a tail was sticking 

 uncomfortably out at one side, while a cold hair-pin would 

 perhaps make you shudder by sliding down your back. 

 Then, if your hand was not immediately lifted to rectify it, 

 the tail would rapidly increase in length and volume, and a 

 perfect rain of hair-pins would begin to descend upon your 

 shoulders. This is precisely what a riding-master dreads 

 and detests — for fingers and attention are alike employed 

 to rectify the damage, which cannot be done in a hurry, 

 but takes a long time, — and so discomfort reigns para- 

 mount until the lesson is over. 



Always, while a learner, ride with your hair unbound, and 

 wear a soft hat or cap upon your head, fastened securely 

 with an elastic beneath the chin. This latter does not look 

 pretty, but that need not matter very much ; there will not 

 be many to see it, and even were it otherwise, the sensible 

 among them would applaud your foresight, and commend 

 you for providing against the discomforts attendant on a 

 hat that would go rolling off with every motion of the 

 horse you were riding. 



Your jacket should be more than easy-fitting : it should 

 be loose — ^allowing the figure full play, and giving special 



