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the decision would in every instance be contrary. 

 The ladies who ride very seldom go above one 

 hundred or one hundred and thirty pounds. The 

 ladies' horse should in point of soundness, action, 

 mouth and temper be uncensurable. 



The horse that a woman is riding should 

 have al. the gaits, for the reason that it gives her 

 ease and comfort to change positions at her dis- 

 cretion. The height of the ladies* horse should be 

 from fourteen and a half to fifteen hands high. 

 Smaller than this makes her skirt trail in the 

 dirt, and higher than this is too high and clumsy 

 or bulky for ladies' use. 



When a woman is riding a saddle horse, to 

 make him move at a gentle gallop, or at a quicker 

 and shorter tread than in ordinary ambling, the 

 curb of the bit should be drawn tightly, necessi- 

 tating the head of the animal to be pulled down, 

 and in consequence thereof the front legs of the 

 animal are manipulated by a smooth and easy 

 movement, and the hind legs with a kind of a 

 swing, giving the rider all the comfort and pleas- 

 ure that can be derived from horseback riding. 

 This method will eliminate all jarring so often 

 experienced by horseback riders. 



In mounting the horse, the great mistake is 

 made in keeping the knee bent, which ought to be 

 straightened out as soon as possible. If kept 

 bent it requires a great deal of power to lift her 

 into the saddle, where on the other hand a good 

 spring and a straight knee she ought to weigh 

 but a very few pounds. The lady's position is gen- 

 erally supposed to be weak, but depends entirely 

 upon the balance. But this is a big mistake, nd 

 there can be no doubt, from what is seen in pri- 

 vate, as well as in the circus life, that it requires 

 as great an effort for the horse to unseat a good 



