IN THE FIELD. 45 



as he goes at a fence ; both hands held low down, the calves 

 of his legs feeling instinctively what his mount is going to 

 do. Then, as he lands on the other side, the hands for a 

 brief second slide down, one on each side of the horse's 

 withers ; then see how carefully he '•' assists " him into his 

 stride again, and goes along without a moment's waste of 

 time. He would not have anything like so much power if 

 the use of one hand were voluntarily thrown away, besides 

 having the disadvantage of balance, before alluded to, to con- 

 tend with. In taking a jump, your body should swing freely 

 and easily to the motion of the horse, whilst the legs should 

 close upon the saddle like a vice ; let the calf come right 

 back, and never mind if the toes stick out more than is 

 needful for absolute beauty. You are not trying for effect; 

 your object is to be conveyed from one field to another, with 

 safety and comfort to both man and beast, and, if j^ou have 

 achieved this, you have done well. 



There is one expedient for " making a timber jumper " that 

 I must just touch upon before concluding. I refer to that 

 of "giving a horse a fall" purposely. Thomas Assheton Smith 

 is reported to have three times ridden a young one over a stiff 

 4ft. rail going to covert one day, each attempt resulting in 

 a fall ; the fourth time he cleared it successfully 1 Most men 

 would have hesitated, I fancy, to go on so long as this ; but 

 then most men do not happen to be made of cast iron, as 

 Assheton Smith undoubtedly was. My own experience has 

 left me rather in doubt as to the advisability, or otherwise, 

 of the experiment, as, out of four horses I have tried it with, 

 I can claim to have '' made " two, whilst, at the same time, 

 I must plead guilty to having " marred " the others ; at all 

 events, they neither of them would even look at another 

 fence — in fact, no amount of inducement could ever get them 

 near one again. In addition to the doubtful success attending 

 this process, one must consider whether it is worth the risk 

 of one's limbs — that is, if one is over twenty years of age ; 

 before that period in life men never consider anything at all. 

 Again, many horses after getting a severe fall Icse heart and 

 courage, and become determined refusers. Whenever this 

 happens to a horse who has been a good jumper, throw him 

 up at once ; do not take him out with hounds again for at 

 least a month, and if anywhere near the end of the season 

 wait till the next, by which time he will probably have 



