256 LADIES ON HORSEBACK. 



the cross-saddle. Were it not that the writer 

 says so many nice, kind things of myself (for 

 which I heg to thank her) I should be really 

 angry at the tremendous display of zeal thus 

 wasted upon so unworthy a subject. It is true 

 that a lady's seat on horseback prevents her 

 pressing her horse up to his bridle as a 

 man can, unless — but there is the unless — she 

 knows how to do it. A good stout hunting- 

 crop, properly used, will admirably fulfil the 

 duties of the second leg ; but in all my 

 experience, and it is a pretty wide one, I have 

 never seen more than two lady riders who 

 had any idea of making a horse gallop or 

 sending him up to his bit. I do not mean 

 riding his head off — we unfortunately see too 

 much of that ; but pressing him up to his 

 work, and riding him with firm, accomplished 

 hands, such as are only to be obtained by 

 good teaching, long and constant practice, 

 and real love of the art. To give some idea 

 of the hazy notion which most persons have 

 about riding, a lady who came to call upon 

 me in London, and who certainly meant to be 

 most kind and pohte, said, as we sat at our 



