346 Till. Book of r/ii: //oa'sf. 



accidents have arisen from ladies objecting to any one riding their pets except themselves ; the 

 very best horses acquire vicious tricks from idleness in the stable. 



Not many years ago a lady, a fine horsewoman, the mother of a family, who would not 

 allow any one except herself to mount her thoroughbred horse, was run away with in Rotten 

 Row. The horse rushed madly out of the Park at the Kensington gate, against the wall where 

 the fountain stands, and was killed with his rider — a horrid spectacle. 



All highly-bred, highly-fed horses, that do not get some hours' real work for five days 

 of the week, should have at least two hours' exercise before they are ridden in town by ladies. 



When Her Majesty rode on horseback regularl}-, it was the duty of a lad}' attached to the 

 Master of the Horse's establishment to ride and sweat the royal horse, in the school at 

 Buckingham Palace or at Windsor, early enough in the day to allow him time to be cooled 

 and dressed before Her Majesty rode out. 



All stud-grooms who understand their business take the same precaution without consult- 

 ing their "young ladies." A bucket of water., judiciously administered before proceeding to tlie 

 Park, will produce a soothing effect on a fiery horse ; but then there must be no galloping, 

 or serious internal injuries may follow. 



The highly elegant creature referred to as the perfect lady's horse and park hack, page 

 318, is often too delicate and too ornamental for country use. For general utility in the 

 country, the stamp of horse for a lady's hunter is the best. The illustration at page 330 is 

 taken from a lady's hunter in Lord Calthorpe's Leicestershire stud, one good at walking, 

 good at trotting, pleasant at a hand-gallop, able and willing to leap anything a lady should leap. 



When a gentleman rides in the Park or other public place, etiquette requires that he 

 should approach a lady on the off or right side ; and that in either meeting or passing, if she 

 be alone, he should slacken his pace to a walk. Li a visit which Lord Chief Justice Denman 

 paid to Walmcr Castle, three years before the Duke of Wellington's death, in a conversation 

 about riding, the Duke said : " When I meet a lady on horseback I always stop, and if her 

 horse seems troublesome, offer to ride alongside her in the Row until it is quiet. The other 

 day I met a lady on a fresh, violent horse, so I took off my hat, and said, ' Shall I ride 

 with you .' my horse is perfectly quiet.' She knew me, for she replied, ' No, your Grace ; I 

 think I can get on very well.' After she was gone, I felt sure that it was Jenny Lind." "We 

 all agreed," adds Lord Denman, " that the great singer .should have accepted the services of 

 the great Duke, whether she wanted them or not.''* 



When a gentleman accompanies a lady on horseback, he should ride on the right side, 

 holding his own bridle and whip in his right hand, that he may be prepared to assist her with 

 his left hand if needful. When it is necessary 

 for a horseman to secure a lady's horse with a 

 leading rein, it may be attached to the snaffle 

 bit with spring hook.s, in the following manner : 

 — The hooks to be hooked to the rings of the 

 snaffle ; the rein, which should be thin and round, 

 fastened to a ring in the centre of the leather 

 band which unites the hooks. The rein should 



then be passed through two rings, one of them close to the front flap of the saddle, the other 

 firther on, beyond the right-hand pommel. \\\ this contrivance, if it be necessar)- to use 



* "Life or I.onl Chief Justice Dcnninii," liy Sir Josepli .\rnouUl. 



