trotting, displayed to the
wondering gaze of those who ride behind her. As, in the apron skirt,
there is no covering of Melton cloth to sit on and take off some of the
wear and tear of the breeches, these garments become quickly worn out at
the seat, and necessitate a double thickness of cloth at that part.
There is another kind of safety skirt which is a combination of breeches
and skirt in one; but I consider this a very unsanitary arrangement, for
it is obvious that the undergarment must be kept clean, and handed over
when necessary to the laundress to be carefully washed, before sending
it to a tailor to be pressed and repaired as may be required. It is part
of a groom's duty in small households to attend to the cleaning of his
mistress's hunting boots and skirt, but a combination garment should not
be cleaned by a male servant.

[Illustration: Fig. 55.--Apron skirt open for mounting.]

Any skirt which ensures safety in the saddle is preferable to the
old-fashioned shape, with its dangerous bundle of cloth over the
crutches, a fact which is so well understood by hunting women that none
who hunt in Leicestershire, or I hope in any other place, appear in
those early Victorian atrocities. Provision of this kind does not appear
to be insisted on for the safety of young ladies; for I saw a girl
dragged in Leicestershire, and Lord Lonsdale, who fortunately stopped
her horse, sent her home, and told her not to hunt with his hounds until
she had provided herself with a safety skirt. The young and
inexperienced, who, with the fearlessness of ignorance, are prone to
rush headlong into difficulties, ought surely to be safeguarded in every
possible manner. Fig. 57 shows a safe and comfortable riding dress for a
very young girl. For winter wear, the coat and leggings should be made
of Melton; and the breeches of elastic cloth or knitted wool to match.
It is well to have the coat buttoned over the right leg, so as to
protect that limb from cold and wet. For summer use, a linen coat is
worn. We may notice that the sweet little horsewoman has a good seat,
and is capable of taking sole charge of her nice pony.

The safest and most comfortable length for a riding skirt is when it
just covers the rider's left foot when she is seated in the saddle with
her stirrup at its usual length. It is best for a lady to use her own
saddle when having her habit fitted, as her stirrup will then be at the
length she rides in, and the crutches will