CHAPTER XI
THE SELECTION OF A SADDLE HORSE
Having decided on the type of horse that one wants, the next thing is where to find him. One of the most important points to bear in mind, and one often overlooked in selecting a saddle horse, is not only that he can be but that he should be becoming to the rider, and this becomingness depends largely upon the horse and rider being in proper proportion to each other. It is better that the horse should be too large and too heavy rather than too small and too light. For instance, while a tall woman looks out of proportion on a small horse and a stout woman ridiculous, a small woman can look smart on a large horse and a woman who weighs little may look well on a weight carrier. Still, other things being equal, I would advise that the choice be given to a horse proportioned to the rider’s size and weight.
Not only the horses themselves but the horse buyers may be divided into classes. There is the green purchaser with plenty of money and the green one with only a hundred or two to spend; the clever buyer who “has an eye” and the buyer who thinks she “has an eye.” The first mentioned should go to a high-class dealer, rely on his advice, and thus be sure of getting what she wants as long as she is willing to pay the price. The second ought to find something in the “practically sound ones” or among the discarded polo ponies. The clever buyer will fill her wants anywhere, in the auction marts, on the stock farms, at the race track, or through a casual meeting on the road, while the one who thinks she “has an eye” is a source of profit to others if not to herself.
The attitude of the public at large toward the horse dealer is to my thinking most unfair, for reputable business methods are to be found among them quite as much as in any other business or profession. If the buyer’s experience is limited, there is nothing in which she can be so easily deceived as in a horse. Therefore, I strongly advise the novice to go always to a dealer of good standing, state frankly what she is looking for, how much she is willing to pay, and put herself in his hands without affecting knowledge which she lacks. When you go to a dealer of standing you may be confident that having acquired a high reputation he will maintain it, and will not sell you a horse other than he represents it. If you go to a “gyp” dealer you must keep your eyes open and rely on a veterinary of your own selection, coupled with the advice of some friend who has real knowledge of horses; otherwise you are putting yourself at the mercy of the kind of man who has given horse-dealers at large the unfair reputation in which they are held by the public.
Certainly the novice should not expect to get “something for nothing,” and I would strongly advise the buyer to make up her mind that it is better economy in the long run to pay a good price for what she wants than to buy something cheap and in a short time have to sell it for even less than she may have paid.
With regard to the prices charged by reputable dealers, one must bear in mind the value of a horse’s education, all the chances of sickness and of the development of unsoundness which the dealer has had to take, the great expense of a dealer’s establishment in a large city, and the many hands through which a horse has probably passed before he has come into the dealer’s possession. There is not only the first cost of the horse but also the expense of shipping him from the country--where he was raised--into the city; the cost of keeping him there until he is conditioned and has passed through the dangers of acclimatization--that is, sickness caused by change of climate, of water, etc.--the risk of breaking him to unaccustomed sights, and the long period of training and developing into a schooled and mannered saddle horse.
Once the type has been decided on, whether it is a riding horse, a driving horse, or a combination horse, the buyer must next determine whether she knows enough to be able to trust to her own judgment, and, if not, whether she knows some one who has sufficient knowledge to be able to advise her or whether she must rely entirely upon the dealer. She must, of course, be sure that any one on whose advice she relies not only has sufficient knowledge but is entirely disinterested. If you decide to rely on a dealer, it is far the best way to pick out your dealer, go to him, and then, if he has not just what you want, ask him to get it for you instead of going yourself to other dealers. This not only saves time, but the dealer has a very much wider choice than you could possibly have yourself, and it is my experience that by this method you will not have to pay any more than you would if you went straight to the dealer who has the animal that you want.
In buying a high-priced horse I would be sure that he carried out all the conditions demanded by his type: that he possessed beauty and good conformation, that he was free from blemish, that his manners were perfect, his disposition good, and his age not less than five nor more than eight. A horse younger than five is little more than a colt and more liable to injury and blemish than an aged horse, and eight years is a good boundary age, not only from a point of usefulness, but as a matter of investment as well. There is a popular prejudice against paying a big price for an aged horse (“aged” being the term applied to a horse after his eighth year); that is, unless he is a show animal with a list of winnings to his credit and bought to be shown.
A horse to have good conformation should show a niceness of proportion in all his parts. Conformation in a saddle horse calls for a nice head, and a long, flexible, and crested neck--never a ewe-neck. Looking from the withers downward he should present a narrow appearance, for sharp, well-defined withers are most necessary for the proper carrying of a side-saddle, while gradually sloping shoulders hold the saddle in place and go with good gaits and general handiness and quickness. The back should be in proportion to the rest of the horse, and short rather than long. A very long back is usually a sign of weakness and mars the general appearance, but nearly as bad is the back that is too short. This is generally accompanied by a very round barrel, flat withers, thick shoulders, and a general undesirable chunkiness. The sway-back and the roach-back must also be rejected. The former makes the proper adjustment of the saddle difficult and gives an awkward “dipping back feeling” to the rider, especially when posting. The roach-back is the other extreme and makes her feel as if she were dipping forward. The barrel should be well ribbed and the quarters must not slope nor the tail be set too low or the top line will be destroyed.
“Manners” in a horse mean perfection of training, fearlessness, and a will subservient to that of the rider, but do not mean a broken spirit. The spirit should be there, but it should be under control.
When you have found a horse that “pleases your eye,” have him shown to you at a walk, trot, and canter, which will give you an opportunity of studying his appearance in motion and his manners generally. While at his gaits look at him from in front and from behind as well as from the side; that is, have him ridden toward you and away from you as well as past you at all his gaits. Have him change from the walk to the canter and see how quickly and readily he changes. Have him stand for a few minutes and have him backed for at least six steps, and then have him ridden a short distance at a fast canter and see how easily he reins down. Mount him yourself two or three times. A horse that will not stand quietly and that fusses while you mount and dismount is a nuisance; backing is a good test for rearing, and reining in quickly is usually a sign of a light mouth.
Never buy a puller; they are ruination to hands, pleasure, and temper; so see that the horse you are looking at is bitted lightly, that he wears the ordinary double bridle with curb bit and bridoon, and that the curb chain is not fastened too tight. Beware of animals that are shown to you with tight nosebands and tight curb chains, spoon bits, gag snaffles, etc.,--these are signs of “pullers.” Equally bad is the horse with no mouth at all, for he is often a rearer or a jibber. I like to see a horse trained to be ridden with an even pressure on both curb and snaffle, as described in the chapter on hands.
While the horse is being ridden for you to look at, watch closely how he handles himself; see that his walk is free, his trot bold and well balanced, and his action true all-round. By this I mean that his hock action must be in keeping with his front action. A high-stepping horse will give you a good ride if he uses his hocks equally well, but a horse that is high-going in front and stiff and draggy in the hocks is impossible.
See that he neither “dishes out” nor “paddles,” and that he does not travel so closely that there is danger of his crossing his legs. Avoid the horse that stretches too far in front and “points” or “dwells,” for, except to a very good rider, these variations of the gait are uncomfortable. They also count against a horse in the show ring.
His training and the trueness of his way of going having been proved, he must next be tried for courage. If in the city, have him ridden past automobiles, trolley cars, steam drills, and elevated roads; if in the country, past automobiles, railroad trains, mowing machines, steam rollers, or any unusual or noisy object, and in both city and country see that he minds strange sounds, such as automobile horns, steam whistles, etc., no more than strange sights.
The trial having gone satisfactorily thus far, have him saddled with your own saddle and before mounting, ask the owner for points on the best way of riding him.
Different horses have different little peculiarities, and may have been taught by various signals. The person who has had experience with that particular animal can give you valuable hints as to his training and the signals for changing gaits, etc., to which he is accustomed.
The horse being now ready for you, mount him and start him off quietly; first walk him, then try his trot and his canter, and if the gaits prove pleasant the next step is the “vetting.”
Stallions, even the most tractable of them, are not suitable for women either to ride or drive. The choice of a horse should therefore be confined to mares and geldings. There are many who consider the gelding preferable to the mare, but with this I do not quite agree. The mare has a peculiar lightness of foot, vivacity, and _élan_ which are seldom if ever found in the gelding.
RIDING AND DRIVING FOR WOMEN
_PART II--DRIVING_