1 82 RIDING FOR LADIES. 



I do not like riding trotiso's for hunting, although many 

 are wedded to a firm belief in them. If adopted, they must, 

 of absolute necessity, be the exact colour of the habit, must 

 be made long enough to allow even fuller freedom to the 

 knees than in ordinary riding, and be fastened beneath the 

 arch of the foot with a leatJier strap (always leather for 

 hunting purposes), although elastic is in some respects not 

 to be despised, inasmuch as it yields easily with pressure, 

 and is consequently not altogether undesirable when the 

 trousers have been made too short in the legs. It very 

 soon wears out, however, as stated in a former chapter, 

 requires constant renewing, and is unpleasantly apt to give 

 way when least expected to behave badly — very often on 

 hunting days, or when a long distance from home — and then 

 good-bye to everything save extreme discomfort, for the 

 trouser-leg will assuredly ruck up, and a good many lady 

 riders — and, indeed, gentlemen also — have a disagreeable 

 knowledge of what that means. 



I now come to speak again of boots, a subject on which 

 I have already given some advice. The so-called fashion- 

 able boot — an awful invention, utterly misshapen, with toe 

 narrow and pointed, and long heel protruding like a spike 

 from almost the centre of the sole- — must be altogether dis- 

 carded. It is to be hoped that this will not go hard with 

 sensible girls, or women. Nobody can ride with comfort 

 who is not prepared to lay aside all cherished prejudices in 

 favour of cramped feet, hour-glass waists, and gloves that are 

 two sizes too small for the hands they are meant to protect. 

 I do not believe that anybody really admires a stuffed doll 



