CHAPTER IV. 



STEEPLECHASE RIDING. 



Before riding a chase, the jockey should go round and 

 carefully examine the course, if it is strange to him, in 

 order to find out the easiest and safest parts of the 

 fences, which knowledge may be most useful to him 

 when his horse is tired ; to mark where the "taking off" 

 and " landing " is soundest ; and to observe the nature 

 of the ground, so that he may know when to go fast, 

 where the " going " is good, when to take a pull at his 

 horse, where it is heavy, or where, as may occur over a 

 natural line of country, he may make a slight detour 

 with advantage. 



He should, above all things, make up his mind to go 

 straight, and should never allow his horse the chance of 

 even trying to refuse. If he knows that his mount is 

 incapable of making a wilful mistake, he should merely 

 regulate the pace, and should, on no account, interfere 



K 



