70 RIDING OVER FENCES. 



days before, to make him fence. We had only a small 

 field opposed to us, and, as I did not move on him, we 

 agreed fairly together for a while. At the end of the 

 first half of the journey I was leading by several lengths 

 and thought the race was as good as won, until we 

 arrived at the eighth or ninth fence, which was a 4ft. 3in. 

 wall that could not be " chanced." I suppose the fact of 

 my not liking the look of the barrier made me hustle my 

 mount, for I rammed the spurs in just as he was going 

 to make his effort, as I instinctively felt that he was taking 

 off very far away from the wall, and that he would require 

 an unusually strong impulse to clear it. The moment I 

 touched him I felt him try to stop, but his evil intention 

 was formed too late, so all he could do was to breast the 

 masonry. In another instant he was stretched on his 

 back on the landing side, the saddle smashed, and I 

 crumpled up. 



When a horse refuses on account of being afraid to 

 propel himself, the mischief generally lies in the hocks ; 

 but when his dislike to jumping arises from his dread of 

 painful concussion on landing, splints, fever in the feet, 

 corns, navicular disease, or injured ligament or tendon 

 will most frequently be to blame. I may remark, in 

 passing, that it is not very uncommon to find slight 



