8 PREFACE. 



of a horse hold him between their legs and 

 hands in a grip from which he can not escape, 

 and can direct and force him with all the reso- 

 lution and energy they possess. Women, sit- 

 ting on the left side, must supply the place of 

 the right leg as well as they can. They are, of 

 course, obliged to resort to various expedi- 

 ents, all more or less artificial and unsatis- 

 factory certainly, but still the best they can 

 command. Yet it is for these very reasons far 

 more important for women than for men to 

 understand the art of management, since they 

 must rely entirely on tact, skill, and knowledge, 

 not only to overcome the difficulties of the 

 cramped and unnatural seat imposed on them 

 by fashion, but to supply their lack of physical 

 strength. Still, there is no reason for discour- 

 agement, for that these obstacles can be sur- 

 mounted by intelligence and patience, and that 

 women can learn to ride on something like 

 an equality with the best men, the number 

 of undoubtedly fine horsewomen sufficiently 

 proves. 



