THE STIRRUP. 293 



" When a timid, inexperienced lady has to ride a fiery 

 horse, it is not a bad plan to attach a strap to the outside 

 girth on the right hand, so that she may hold it and the 

 right-hand rein at the same time without disturbing her 

 seat. This little expedient gives confidence, and is partio. 

 ularly useful if a fresh horse should begin to kick a littla 

 Of course, it is not to be continued, but only used to givo 

 a timid rider temporary assistance. I have also used for 

 the same purpose a broad tape passed across the knees, 

 and so fastened that in a fall of the horse it would give 

 way."* 



The prejudice of many American ladies, especially in 

 the country, against the third horn of the saddle, is purely 

 the result of habit. Having always been accustomed to 

 the old style of saddle, they experience a restraint in the 

 first use of the leaping-horn, which suggests a dangerous 

 confinement of the limbs, and they seem to fear that they 

 could not easily disengage themselves from it, in case of 

 accident. This fear is groundless ; they could, in no case, 

 get off on the right side, and in dismounting to the left, 

 the leg is simply lowered away from it, so that it can, in 

 no sense, be considered an obstacle to jumping off from the 

 horse. The mere fact that it prevents that worst of all 

 accidents — being thrown on to the left horn in case of 

 the horse falling — is an unanswerable argument in its 

 favor, and no lady, who has become accustomed to its use, 

 would be willing to dispense with it. 



The Stirrup. — English ladies very often ride with the 

 ordinary open stirrups, and it is not clearly apparent why 

 the custom is not universal. Except in very cold weather, 

 the slipper can have no advantage, and in very warm 

 weather it must be uncomfortable. As, however, the slip 



* " The Art of Taming Horses," &c. From this work we have also taken 

 the suggestion for some of the cuts which embellish these "Hints.'' 



