292 RIDING OVER A COUNTRY. 



refuse. When a man habitually rides only with, for instance, 

 his left hand on the reins, he can hardly help carrying this 

 hand more or less to the left, instead of keeping it in an exact 

 line with the withers, and will thereby give the horse a 

 constant indication to turn to the left. When keeping to the 

 road, a horse will naturally ignore this false indication to a 

 greater or less extent ; but its influence on his mind will be 

 certain to make itself felt, when crossing a country, especially 

 as horses are almost invariably handled and led on the 

 near side. 



We may frequently see the rider of a horse which happens 

 to refuse a fence, take him again and again at it, while 

 vigorously plying whip and spurs. The rule in such cases is 

 that each time the animal baulks, he does so with a stronger 

 determination than ever not to jump the obstacle. Horses 

 have such retentive memories, and such obstinate wills, when 

 their tempers are fully roused, that a lesson or two of this sort 

 often ruins a horse for life. I recall an instance of a steeple- 

 chase rider trying a good jumper he was to ride in two or 

 three days' time, over the course which was to be " flagged 

 out " for them. After negotiating a few fences cleverly, the 

 animal, whether from jumping in " cold blood," or from some 

 reason of his own, baulked at a small bank with a ditch in 

 front of it. The rider lost his temper, probably on account of 

 the presence of a few friends who had come to admire, and 

 used whip and spurs when bringing the horse round, but 

 he would have nothing to say to the fence, although his rider 

 cut him almost to " ribbons." When the race came off, the 

 horse of course refused at the very same place, and would go 

 no farther. I cannot too strongly impress on my readers that 

 a man should never be drawn into a pitched battle with his 

 mount, unless he is all but certain of victory. It is no matter 

 how strong and good a rider a man may be, he cannot, when 

 on a horse's back, force him to jump a fence which he has 



