AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST.' 
169 
Ladies on Horseback. 
Learning that our article on Saddle Horses, a 
few months ago, interested many, and was 
the occasion of benefiting several invalids, the 
writer will now present a few hints on female 
equestrianism. As a mere accomplishment for 
young ladies, it ranks high. Perhaps in no 
place do female charms appear more fascinating, 
than in the saddle. You may think it is the 
jaunty cap and plume our Belle wears, or her 
flowing dress, or the fresh color which riding 
brings into her cheek, and the sparkle it gives 
her eye; you may say it is the spirit¬ 
ed motion of her palfrey, or the con¬ 
trast between his rugged strength 
and her delicate beauty. Analyze 
it as you please, it will yet be con¬ 
fessed, (certainly by every young 
man open to conviction) that Belle 
never looks so charming as when 
on horseback. We have heard of 
more than one susceptible youth 
who has lost his peace of mind by 
witnessing such a sight. Indeed, to 
old or young, it is very pleasing. 
And then, if to this sight you add ( 
several young ladies and gentlemen 
in different colored dresses, pranc¬ 
ing along the highway together, you 
make a picture worth looking at. 
The healthfulness of this exercise, 
few will question. It tends to give 
a young lady an erect posture; it 
strengthens her arms, chest, limbs; 
expands the lungs, gives tone to the 
stomach, and clearness to the brain. 
If the digestion is impaired, it will 
restore it much quicker and better 
than pills or bran-bread. The fine 
effect it has upon the spirits is 
enough to recommend it. How 
much more enlivening it is than 
rolling luxuriously over a smooth 
road in a modern, spring-seated, 
close-covered, velvet-cushioned car¬ 
riage! Yet, many of our sighing 
young misses prefer the latter, ‘ it is 
so much more refined!’ They think 
their complexions of satin softness 
and lily whiteness, would suffer 
from the exposure of horseback rid¬ 
ing ! Did you but know it, young 
lady, nine out of ten young gentle¬ 
men would be more pleased with 
you, if your complexion had the healthier 
tinge that comes from vigorous exercise in the 
open air. Who has not known or heard of inva¬ 
lids so weak that they had, at first, to be lifted 
into the saddle, but who, by steadily pursuing 
horseback riding for a period of weeks and 
months, have recovered vigorous health ? All 
of us have known invalids with pulmonary af¬ 
fections, who, having tried the prescriptions of 
doctors of every school in vain, and having 
traveled to the sunny South to little purpose, 
have at last resorted to the saddle, and gained 
therein more advantage than from all things be¬ 
side. Many a lady needs out-door exercise, but 
is too feeble to walk a great distance. Mount 
your horse, then, not your luxurious carriage. 
Mount your saddle, and you will find your weak 
back strengthened, your nerves braced, your 
head-ache dissipated, and every part of your 
system toned and invigorated. Your horse will 
do the hard work for you, and yet give you all 
needful exercise. He will bear you over the 
hills and far awaj' into the woods, to gather flow¬ 
ers, and see the birds, and if you like, down 
yonder gorge to see a waterfall, and over the 
bridge to a certain farm-house to visit some 
friend, and see her pleasant occupations. Where- 
r you will, you can fide, and then come home 
refreshed and inspirited with new health. In 
England the ladies ride horseback more than 
in the northern United States. It often forms a 
part of their education to learn to sit in the 
saddle gracefully, and to manage a horse 
with skill. In the southern states of this coun¬ 
try, it has long been a very common practice. 
The writer of these lines has often raced with 
Virginia lasses, leaping brooks and ditches, and 
low fences, side by side with them, and he con¬ 
fesses that he generally (gallantly ?) came off 
second best in the contest—as in duty bound. 
We are happy to know that female eques¬ 
trianism is becoming, of late, more popular 
among us. In many of our cities, riding schools 
have been established, and along our parks and 
broad thoroughfares, many a gay company of 
lady-riders can be seen almost any fair day. So 
too in the country generally, there is an increas¬ 
ing fondness for this exercise. * 
Halter Breaking Young Colts. —There 
is as much advantage in beginning early with a 
colt as with a boy. It is serious business to most 
fanners to break a stout four year-old to t'ne hal¬ 
ter, and to handling; but begin with a sucking 
colt, and you have an easy task. He takes gen¬ 
tle handling kindly, may soon be made familiar 
with the halter, and do your bidding. After a 
little training, the boys can lead him to the 
pasture and to water, which will be a good les¬ 
son for them, as well as the colt. 
Concerning Old Horses. 
Not those very old hacks, on the shady side of 
twenty. Not those broken down with hard 
work, “ lame in one leg and blind in one eye.” 
No : we simply mean horses that have gpt over 
their youthful follies, and settled down for life 
into good, honest, staid habits. In 
age, they may range anywhere be¬ 
tween eight and fifteen years; for 
if they have been properly used, 
they are not old, in a bad sense, un¬ 
til they have passed this limit. All 
along through this period, such an 
animal may be styled our “good 
old horse,” our “ safe family horse,” 
and other fond epithets. Who does 
not like such a beast ? Your liair- 
brained youth, full of daring and 
lusty strength, may prefer an ani¬ 
mal as wild as himself. Horse deal¬ 
ers and fast men may like one that 
will never allow another to pass him 
on the road, even though he starts 
at every strange object in the street 
—one that prances and paws and 
chafes under restraint; but sober 
and sensible men have very differ¬ 
ent likings. They want a horse 
that, while he has abundance of 
spirit, is, at the same time, easily 
restrained; that does not fret and 
worry at his work; that carries his 
rider, or draws his load cheerfully, 
steadily, vigorously, until his task is 
done. Your old horse does this. 
Let him stand idle a day or two, 
and he will play like a colt. Have , 
a care, or he will dance you out of 
the saddle. Look sharply, or he 
will make the old family carriage 
whirl, and give the ladies a harder 
jolting than they desire. But ere 
" i._ long he sobers down, and saves his 
reputation as the “good old horse.” 
~~ — The horse and his master are 
generally in keeping. The man 
has sown his wild oats, is married, 
and has a household to provide 
for; can’t waste his time and strength in ex¬ 
citing follies, and don’t wish to expose his 
family to danger. So he buys him a good old 
horse, one that can always be relied on, one that 
has at least $20 worth of standstill in him. Ani¬ 
mals like these deserve great respect and consid¬ 
eration. They tire the most useful citizens in 
horse-dom. On them the burdens of life chiefly 
rest. They manifest a deal of sober dignity, as 
if conscious of weighty responsibilities. It is 
painful to see such horses over-driven or over¬ 
worked in any way. Of course, they are not as 
quick as they once were, yet they will work 
over about as much ground in a day as most 
young horses, if they be allowed to go at their 
own pace. They should not be over-strained 
with heavy loads. Give them reasonable bur¬ 
dens, let them move moderately, and they will 
work faithfully day after day without flinching. 
Such horses should have fome special care in 
feed and grooming. Adapt the treatment to their 
