62 RIDING OVER FENCES. 



same spirit. On a strange horse, or on one of which we 

 have any doubt, we might restrain his pace a bit, or 

 send him along with an encouraging word. But we 

 should never, unless on a peculiar horse, or in a peculiar 

 country, pull him up, when we come to a fence, in order 

 that he may take it according to any arbitrary ideas of 

 our own ; neither should we frighten him half out of his 

 life by whip, spur, or voice, to show to the spectators how 

 brave we are, or to harden our own hearts. In order 

 to be one with a horse, we should endeavour to get him 

 to take his fences in the same manner as we would do 

 ourselves, were we on foot, and were we possessed with 

 the requisite activity. As horses are very prone to take 

 liberties — perhaps because, as Whyte-Melville says, they 

 don't like jumping — the rider should show his mount 

 that his one object is to go straight. If, however, when 

 going up to a fence, the horseman sees proper cause for 

 pulling up, or turning his animal off it, he should do so 

 with the very clearest " indications " with leg and rein, 

 so that the horse may not make the mistake of thinking 

 that he is allowed to refuse. I may say, in passing, that 

 I have ridden a few horses who were passionately fond 

 of jumping, and who would have taken a lot of stop- 

 ping to have made them turn away from a fence at 



