How Women Should Ride Part 10

A woman who has been accustomed to such an animal will be at a loss to manage a spirited pair, should she be called upon to do so. If she begin with a horse which goes well into his collar and does his work generously, she will learn twice as much as she would in the same time with a lazy horse, and will sooner be able to drive a pair.

[Sidenote: On the Box]

The position on the driving seat should be comfortable and firm, which cannot be the case when it is used merely to lean against, instead of to sit upon.

From the knee down, the leg should be but slightly bent, with the feet together and resting against the foot-rail.

The elbows should be held near the body, and the reins in the left hand, with the little finger down, and the knuckles pointing straight ahead, about on a line with or a trifle below the waist, and in the middle of the body.

Whether driving one or two horses, the manner of holding the reins is the same; but more strength and decision, as well as the judgment which, of course, experience will bring, are required for the pair.

[Sidenote: Position of Reins]

The near rein belongs on top of the first finger, held there firmly by the thumb, and the off rein should be between the second and third fingers.

The gloves should be large, broad across the knuckles, and long in the fingers; otherwise cold, stiff hands will result from the impeded circulation.

The right hand, close to the left, should contain the whip, which must be held at an angle of a little less than forty-five degrees, and at the collar, about eight to ten inches from the b.u.t.t, so that it balances properly.

[Sidenote: Handling Reins]

When about to start, the reins should be tightened, to feel the horse's mouth, and a light touch of the whip will suffice to send him forward. The hand should then yield, so that as he straightens the traces there will be no jerk on his mouth.

In turning to the right or to the left, the reins must not be separated.

The right hand should be placed on the rein, indicating the desired direction, until the turn has been made; but a slight pressure on the opposite rein should keep the horse from going too near a corner.

The left hand must not relax its hold, so that when the right is removed the reins will be even, as they were before.

In stopping, the body is not to be bent backwards, suggestive of an expected shock, and the hands raised to the chin.

It cannot be too strongly impressed on the woman's mind that the less perceptible effort she makes, the more skilful will she appear.

Therefore, if she take hold of the reins with her right hand as far in front of the left as she can handily reach, and then draw them back, she will have accomplished her purpose in a quiet and easy manner.

[Sidenote: A Pair]

Driving a pair is much the same as driving one horse; but allowances should be made for the peculiarities of each, and they should not be treated as though machines of identical construction.

Frequently a woman driving a nervous horse with a quiet one will hit them both with the whip, when, should she touch the quiet one only, the sound of it would urge the other as much as the blow does the dull one.

Here is another objection to clucking to horses: one of them needs it much more than the other, yet they hear it with equal clearness, and simultaneously; therefore the high-mettled horse increases his pace sooner and more than his sluggish companion, and does more than his share of the work. Several noiseless touches of the whip, administered in quick succession to the laggard, will do more to equalize their pace than would a sharp, loud cut or any amount of clucking.

Sometimes a woman will experience great inconvenience from not having her horses properly bitted and harnessed. This should always be seen to, either by herself or some one who is competent to judge for her.

When she has more than one horse to control, she will soon become tired if one of them pulls and the other will not go into his collar.

A judicious readjustment of the curb-chain and the coupling-rein will often make the difference between discomfort and ease.

XIV

SOMETHING MORE ON DRIVING

[Sidenote: Management]

While a horse is doing his work in a satisfactory manner he should not be irritated by having his mouth jerked and the whip applied for the driver's amus.e.m.e.nt. It is a pity all women do not realize that a horse will accomplish, with less fatigue, much more work when taken quietly than he will if fretted and tormented by needless urging or restraint.

Constant nagging affects an animal in the same way as it does a human being; and though a horse is usually subjected to such treatment through want of thought, it is none the less exasperating to him.

One result of this ordeal is that it prompts him to break into a canter as he becomes restless; and then he must be brought back to a trot by decreasing the speed and keeping the hands steady.

[Sidenote: Stumbling]

A stumbling horse must be kept awake and going at a medium rate of speed. In either a very fast trot or a slow one he is likely to trip, and unless his driver is prepared for it, and ready to keep him up, he will probably fall, and she may be pulled over the dash-board.

A bearing-rein may a.s.sist in keeping him on his feet, but an habitual stumbler can never be considered safe. Such a horse must not be driven with loose reins, as a feeling on his mouth is necessary at all times.

[Sidenote: Backing]

When a horse persistently backs, there are two great dangers: first, he may upset the carriage, unless it cuts under; and, secondly, he may back into something or over an embankment.

If the road be level, a woman must try to keep the horse from backing to one side, although in case of a steep declivity it may be necessary to pull him sideways, and risk an overturn rather than a fall over a bank. In all events, the whip should be vigorously applied, in the hope of starting the horse forward; if the woman have a groom with her, he should go to the horse's head at once and lead him.

Occasionally, backing may arise from sore shoulders caused by an ill-fitting collar; but if there is no such excuse for his action, and it should become a habit, the horse is not suitable for any woman to drive.

If desirous of making a turn in a narrow lane, it will often be necessary to back off the road, between trees or on to a foot-path, to obtain room. Some horses will not back under these circ.u.mstances, nor from a shed where they have been tied. In most instances all that will be required is to get out, take the horse by his bridle, and by lightly tapping one foot make him raise it, at the same time pushing him back by the bit. The other foot should be moved in the same way, and this repeated until he has gone far enough. After a few steps the woman may resume her seat, with the probability of the horse backing without further resistance.

[Sidenote: Rearing and Kicking]

If the horse is nervous, the pull at his mouth may make him back so fast that in his excitement he will rear. In this event the reins should be loosened a moment and the animal quieted, after which the backing process may be continued.

If the rearing comes from temper, and takes place when he has been going forward, there should be no weight on his mouth while he seems in danger of falling backward, but a cut of the whip administered as he comes down may prevent his trying it again. It is important to feel his mouth at this juncture, as the whip will make him plunge forward, and the hold on his mouth must be firm enough to keep the traces loose as he lands; otherwise there would be a sudden strain on them, and consequently an unpleasant jerk, which might bring the carriage on to his hocks, as he stopped to gather himself for another effort, and, even if it did not make him kick or run, he would probably be bruised.

A determined kicker needs to have his head kept up, and for this purpose a bearing-rein will be found of great service. He should be driven with a kicking-strap, but it must not be too tight, or it will induce the habit it is intended to cure. He may kick if the crupper is too tight, so this also should be looked to.

[Sidenote: Rein under Tail]

When a rein gets under the tail of a horse, under no circ.u.mstances should an attempt be made to pull it away. It should be pushed forward, and the horse spoken to in a rea.s.suring manner.

If he does not then release it, a slight cut of the whip may divert his attention; he will whisk his tail, and at this instant the rein must be allowed to fall to one side, as were it pulled directly up, it would be likely to be caught again. If these methods do not prove efficacious, a woman must try to keep the horse straight, and prevail upon him to walk until some one sees her predicament and comes to her a.s.sistance. In some traps she might be able to reach forward and remedy the difficulty, meanwhile watching for any symptoms of kicking.

But whether she does it herself or directs some one else, she must see that the tail is lifted, instead of an effort being made to pull the rein away.

Many mishaps come from this seemingly trivial occurrence, and a horse frightened by improper treatment is liable to bolt or run.

It is always an excellent plan to have a horse trained to stop short at the word "whoa!" This expression is usually misapplied, being made to do duty for "steady" or "quiet," and it will be difficult to teach a horse its true significance unless he is never driven without this end in view, and the term employed only when it is meant.

[Sidenote: Bolting and Running]