46 RIDING FOR LADIES, 



liberty to the arms, which should never be hampered in 

 any way. 



The shape of it need not trouble you ; beauty and 

 fashion can be dispensed with till by-and-by. Your skirt 

 should be wide and short ; the make of it will not matter ; — 

 as in the case of the jacket, let " cut " give place to comfort. 

 Do not wear a hard stiff collar, or anything that would 

 irritate or distract your mind. Never wear petticoats on 

 horseback, even from the first. To do so is a grave mis- 

 take. I advocate the purchase of proper riding trousers, to 

 be worn from the very beginning, and they, of course, obviate 

 the necessity for any such garment. I have heard persons 

 speak in favour of flannel combinations, made to fit quite 

 loose, and must confess that, having never tried them, I am 

 not in a position to condemn, but my prejudices are 

 certainly not in favour of them. If not fitted with elastic 

 below the knees, they would most assuredly ruck up and 

 make their wearer miserable ; and if so supplied, the legs 

 of them would turn round and round until the backs were 

 almost twisted to the front, a state of things terribly 

 uncomfortable, and one that could not be remedied without 

 getting off. If, however, there is a decided predilection in 

 favour of these extremely undesirable garments, the 

 twisting process may in great measure be obviated by 

 attaching a piece of good firm elastic, long enough to pass 

 under the sole of the foot, to each side of the leg of the 

 combinations. This answers the purpose of a man's 

 trouser strap, but must, if adopted by a lady, be worn under 

 the boot. It is, I must say, surprising to me that the 



