“Tally Ho! Horses and Fox Hunting in Jane Austen’s Time”

Jane Austen and her contemporaries were all familiar with the sport of fox hunting. Whether
one “rode to hounds” or watched from the sidelines, the sport was integral to rural English life
and drew participation from all strata of English society. Rich in tradition, the sport continues around the globe, with active hunts in almost every state in the US.

Carol Lobdell, a Bluffton resident, has been an equestrian for more than 25 years and has ridden with more than a dozen fox hunts, including three in England. Carol will share with JASNA SC the styles and challenges of being a Regency horsewoman, and will discuss the origins and development of the sport, its meaning and role in English society in the Regency years, and the sport’s activities today.

Find out more:

• For more details on horses and riding in Austen’s novels, see this wonderful article: “A Woman Never Looks Better than on Horseback” by Jill Ottman in the Winter 2015 edition of JASNA’s literary magazine Persuasions . 
• “The Regency Side-Saddle – A Lady’s Death Trap?” 
• A number of excellent sidesaddle pictures at Pinterest
• And a YouTube demonstration on how to ride side saddle like a lady