THE HORSEWOMAN 233 



thought she might carry the missis." I am 

 afraid X's poHcy frequently prevails, and when 

 one sees a weedy animal on inspecting a stud 

 and ventures to ask its use one is sometimes 

 told it will carry a lady. This offhand pro- 

 nouncement is the result of ignorance, not in- 

 difference. The men who say these things and 

 the men who act on them know that women 

 are lighter than men and that is all the thought 

 they give to the subject. There is however no 

 need to emphasise what I have said — at any 

 show where there is a lady's hack class it will 

 generally be found the most uneven in the show. 

 Happily in recent years classes for ladies' hunters 

 have been introduced at important shows and 

 in them are horses of very different character. 



But to return to the lady's horse at home. He 

 should have quality and breeding. These are 

 indispensable both for the sake of appearance 

 and comfort. The man who knowingly will 

 allow the ladies of his family to be bumped about 

 by a common brute deserves — well he deserves 

 to be looked at — I don't know a much worse 

 punishment. Equally indispensable are manners. 

 A lady's horse in this respect should be perfect. 

 He should pass out of a walk into a canter or 

 from a standing position into a canter without 

 any of that ungainly indecision which is some- 

 times seen, the moment the signal is given him ; 

 and he should pass and meet everything without 

 so much as a * snort ' of excitement. This of 

 course it is difficult to ensure in these days of 



