side, so as to
get them clear of the gate, and pass through, the moment he sees that
his rider has opened the gate sufficiently for him to perform that final
manoeuvre. For instance, if a mounted lady wants to get through the
gate shown in Fig. 126, she should pull back the latch with her right
hand (with or without a whip), and on drawing the gate towards her, the
horse should bring his hind quarters round to the left; move his fore
legs a little to the left; and, if need be, rein back a step or two, so
as to be in the proper position to move forward, as soon as he has
plenty of room to do so. As a lady has not a leg on each side of her
mount, to enable her to turn his hind quarters to whichever side she
likes, she will have far more difficulty than a man in teaching a horse
these very useful movements. At the same time, when a horse is anxious
to get through a closed gateway, as he will generally be when his head
is turned towards his stable, he will very quickly learn how to ably
assist his rider in this process.

CHAPTER XVI.

HUNTING.

When ladies began to hunt--Hunt subscriptions--In the field--
Cub-hunting--Blood--Coming home--Rider's Physical Condition--Tips
and thanks--The Horn--Hirelings--Farmers and Wire--Pilots--
Propriety--Falls.

WHEN LADIES BEGAN TO HUNT.

Although the hunting field is nowadays graced by the presence of many
good horsewomen who ride well to hounds and are capable of taking care
of themselves and their mounts, it is only within about the last seventy
years that ladies have ridden across country. Mr. Elliott in his book
_Fifty years of Fox-hunting_ tells us that in 1838 "Mrs. Lorraine Smith
and her two daughters, with Miss Stone from Blisworth, were the only
ladies who hunted then. The Misses Lorraine Smith rode in scarlet
bodices and grey skirts. The improved side-saddle was not then invented
to enable a lady to ride over fences." We learn from the same writer
that in 1841 "a lady named Miss Nellie Holmes was out, topping the
fences like a bird to the admiration of all; and when she came to the
brook, over she went.... That was the first lady whom I saw go over a
country. There is one certainty about ladies, what one does another will
do, if it be worth the doing. Very soon others were at the game, and
many have played it well since." In a pleasant little book entitled _The
Young Ladies' Equestrian Manual_, written by a lady and published in
1838, we read, "No