CHAPTER XI 

 TRAINING FOR JUMPING 



OF all his achievements, jumping is that 

 form of action which gives the horse 

 the greatest delight, for it calls into 

 play, to their extremity of attainment, the 

 best of his mental and muscular powers, at 

 one and the same time. In the combination of 

 man and horse, jumping brings to the pair 

 closer community of interest, thought, judg- 

 ment, and action, than in any other of the 

 phases of their association. For the time 

 being their mentality is practically identical. 

 You and your best old hunter, who have been 

 through so much together, and have had the 

 same experience a thousand times over in the 

 preparation for and negotiation of jumps, 

 probably view any given jump with an absolute 

 identical outlook ; from the same consider- 

 ations and conclusions, you two form precisely 

 the same judgment as to how it is to be 

 negotiated ; man and horse each know exactly 

 what the other is going to do in the circum- 

 stances ; and for a certain number of seconds 



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