Chapter I: Introduction

In preparing this work for the press, I may state that it is composed chiefly of a series of papers on horses and their riders, which appeared a short time since in the columns of _The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News_. How they originally came to be written and published may not prove uninteresting.

One day, in the middle of February 1880, a goodly company, comprising many thousands of persons, assembled upon the lawn of a nobleman's residence in the vicinity of Dublin; ostensibly for the purpose of hunting, but in reality to gaze at and chronicle the doings of a very distinguished foreign lady, who had lately come to our shores. I was there, of course; and whilst we waited for the Imperial party, I amused myself by watching the moving panorama, and taking notes of costume and effect. Everybody who could procure anything upon which to ride, from a racehorse to a donkey, was there that day, and vehicles of all descriptions blocked up every available inch of the lordly avenues and well-kept carriage-drives.

There is for me so great an attraction in a number of "ladies on horseback" that I looked at them, and at them alone. One sees gentlemen riders every hour in the day, but ladies comparatively seldom; every hunting morning finds about a hundred and fifty mounted males ready for the start, and only on an average about six mounted females, of whom probably not more than the half will ride to hounds. This being the case, I always look most particularly at that which is the greater novelty, nor am I by any means singular in doing so.

On the day of which I write, however, ladies on horseback were by no means uncommon: I should say there were at least two hundred present upon the lawn. Some rode so well, and were so beautifully turned out, that the most hypercritical could find no fault; but of the majority--what can I say? Alas! nothing that would sound at all favourable. Such horses, such saddles, such rusty bridles, such riding-habits, such hats, whips, and gloves; and, above all, such _coiffures_! My very soul was sorry. I could not laugh, as some others were doing. I felt too melancholy for mirth. It seemed to me most grievous that my own sex (many of them so young and beautiful) should be thus held up to ridicule. I asked myself was it thus in other places; and I came to London in the spring, and walked in the Row, and gazed, and took notes, and was not satisfied. Perhaps I was too critical. There was very much to praise, certainly, but there was also much wherewith to find fault. The style of riding was bad; the style of dressing was incomparably worse. The well-got-up only threw into darker shadow the notable defects visible in the forms and trappings of their less fortunate sisterhood. I questioned myself as to how this could be best remedied. Remonstrance was impossible--advice equally so. Why could not somebody write a book for lady equestrians, or a series of papers which might appear in the pages of some fashionable magazine or journal, patronised and read by them? The idea seemed a good one, but I lacked time to carry it out, and so it rested in embryo for many months. Last June, whilst recovering from serious illness, my cherished project returned to my mind. Forbidden to write, and too weak to hold a pen, I strove feebly with a pencil to trace my thoughts upon odd scraps of paper, which I thrust away in my desk without any definite idea as to what should eventually become of them. In July, whilst staying at a country house near Shrewsbury, I one day came upon these shorthand jottings, and, having leisure-time upon my hands, set to work and put them into form. A line to the Editor of _The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News_, with whom, I may state, I had had no previous acquaintance, brought an immediate reply, to send my work for consideration. I did so; called upon him by appointment when I came a few days later to London; made all arrangements in a three-minutes interview; and the first of my series of papers appeared shortly after. That they were successful, far beyond their deserts, is to me a proud boast. On their conclusion numerous firms negotiated with me for the copyright: with what result is known; and here to my publishers I tender my best thanks.

In arranging now these writings--put together and brought before the public at a time when I had apparently many years of active life before me--it is to me a melancholy reflection that the things of which they treat are gone from my eyes,--for alas! I can ride no more. Never again may my heart be gladdened with the music of the hounds, or my frame invigorated by the exercise which I so dearly loved. An accident, sudden and unexpected, has deprived me of my strength, and left me to speak in mournful whispers of what was for long my happiest theme. Yet why repine where so much is left? It is but another chapter in our life's history! We love and cling to one pursuit--and it passes from us; then another absorbs our attention,--it, too, vanishes; and so on--perhaps midway to the end--until the "looking back" becomes so filled with saddened memories, that the "looking forward" is alone left. And so we turn our wistful eyes where they might never have been directed, had the prospect behind us been less dark.

A few more words, and I close my preliminary observations and commence my subject. I cannot but be aware, from the nature of the correspondence which has flowed in upon me, that although far the greater number of my readers have agreed with me and entirely coincided in my views, not a few have been found to cavil. Let not such think that I am oblivious of their good intentions because I remain unconvinced by their arguments, and still prefer to maintain my own opinions, which I have not ventured to set forth without mature deliberation, and the most substantial reasons for holding them in fixity of tenure. I have spent some considerable time in turning over in my mind the advisability, or otherwise, of publishing, as a sort of appendix to this volume, a selection from the letters which were printed in _The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News_ with reference to my writings in that journal. After much deliberation I have decided upon suffering the entire number, with a few trifling exceptions, to appear. They only form a very small proportion of the voluminous correspondence with which the Editor and myself were favoured; but, such as they are, I give them--together with my replies,--not merely because they set forth the views and impressions of various persons upon topics of universal interest, but because I conceive that a large amount of useful information may be gleaned from them, and they may also serve to amuse my lady readers, who will doubtless be interested in the numerous queries which I was called upon to answer. Whether or not I have been able to fight my battles and maintain my cause, must be for others to determine.

I likewise subjoin a little paper on "Hunting in Ireland"--also already published--which brought me many letters: some of them from persons whose word should carry undoubted weight, fully coinciding in and substantiating my views with regard to the cutting up of grass-lands; whilst further on will be found my article entitled "Hunting in America," originally published in _Life_, and copied from that journal into so many papers throughout the kingdom, and abroad, that it is now universally known, and cannot be here presented in the form of a novelty,--but is given for the benefit of those who may not have chanced to meet with it, and for whom the subject of American sports and pastimes may happen to possess interest.

N. P. O'D.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

LEARNING.

CHAPTER I.

A Popular Error.--Excellence in Riding attainable without any Youthful Knowledge of the Art.--The Empress of Austria.--Her Proficiency.--Her Palace.--Her Occupations.--Her Disposition. --Her Thoughts and Opinions.--The Age at which to learn.-- Courage indispensable.--Taste a Necessity 1

CHAPTER II.

Learner's Costume.--The Best Teacher.--Your Bridle.--Your Saddle.--Your Stirrup.--Danger from "Safety-stirrup."--A Terrible Situation.--Learning to Ride without any support for the Foot 11

CHAPTER III.

Mounting.--Holding the Reins.--Position in the Saddle.--Use of the Whip.--Trotting.--Cantering.--Riding from Balance.--Use of the Stirrup. Leaping.--Whyte Melville's opinion 23

PART II.

PARK AND ROAD RIDING.

CHAPTER IV.

How to Dress.--A Country-girl's ideas upon the subject.--How to put on your Riding-gear.--How to preserve it.--First Road-ride.--Backing.--Rearing, and how to prevent it 44

CHAPTER V.

Running away.--Three Dangerous Adventures.--How to act when placed in Circumstances of Peril.--How to Ride a Puller.-- Through the City.--To a Meet of Hounds.--Boastful Ladies.--A Braggart's Resource 62

PART III.

HUNTING.

CHAPTER VI.

Hunting-Gear.--Necessary Regard for Safe Shoeing.--Drive to the Meet.--Scene on arriving.--A Word with the Huntsman.--A Good Pilot.--The Covert-side.--Disappointment.--A Long Trot 81

CHAPTER VII.

Hounds in Covert.--The First Fence.--Follow your Pilot.--A River-bath.--A Wise Precaution.--A Label advisable.--Wall and Water Jumping.--Advice to Fallen Riders.--Hogging.--More Tail 98

CHAPTER VIII.

Holding on to a Prostrate Horse.--Is it Wise or otherwise?--An Indiscreet Jump.--A Difficult Finish.--The Dangers of Marshy Grounds.--Encourage Humanity.--A Reclaimed Cabby! 111

CHAPTER IX.

Selfishness in the Field.--Fording a River.--Shirking a Fence. --Over-riding the Hounds.--Treatment of Tired Hunters.--Bigwig and the Major.--Naughty Bigwig.--Hapless Major 120

CHAPTER X.

Feeding Horses.--Forage-biscuits.--Irish Peasantry.--A Cunning Idiot.--A Cabin Supper.--The Roguish Mule.--A Day at Courtown. --Paddy's Opinion of the Empress 131

CHAPTER XI.

The Double-rise.--Pointing out the Right Foot.--The force of Habit.--Various kinds of Fault-finding.--Mr. Sturgess' Pictures.--An English Harvest-home.--A Jealous Shrew.--A Shy Blacksmith.--How Irishmen get Partners at a Dance 144

CHAPTER XII.

Subject of Feeding resumed.--Cooked Food recommended.--Effects of Raw Oats upon "Pleader."--Servants' Objections.--Snaffle-bridle, and Bit-and-Bridoon.--Kindness to the Poor.--An Unsympathetic Lady.--An Ungallant Captain.--What is a Gentleman?--_Au Revoir!_ 159

PART IV.

HUNTING IN IRELAND 173

PART V.

HUNTING IN AMERICA 183

CORRESPONDENCE 192

LADIES ON HORSEBACK.