THE SNAFFLE FOR JUMPING. 243 



The snaffle (an unjointed one for preference, see page 

 1 68) should be the only bit used with the jumper whether 

 hunter, chaser, or trooper when riding him up to a jump ; 

 for the shock which the curb is apt to inflict on the lower 

 jaw when landing, and which is frequently difficult to 

 obviate, tends to make the horse afraid to face the bit ; 

 the result being that he becomes unduly liable to 

 injure his hind legs. The fore legs, I may explain, 

 being connected to the body by muscles, and the hind 

 legs by bone ; it follows that the former are much better 

 adapted to receive the weight of the horse and rider on 

 landing, than the latter. I have seen many cases in hunters 

 of injury in the hind legs to tendon, ligament, and joint, 

 caused by the injudicious use of a curb. If the horse 

 be too impetuous with a snaffle, he should be again taken 

 in hand by the breaker to be taught obedience to the aids. 

 If the art of breaking were better understood than it is, 

 we would meet with far fewer inquirers after special kinds 

 of bits, with which to hold their horses, than we do ; for 

 they would solve the difficulty by getting their animals 

 properly broken. 



If we have the facilities for doing so, we might construct 

 a line of fences in the interval between two concentric 

 circles which have been enclosed so that the horse cannot 

 get out, except at the appointed exit. As a convenient 

 size, I might suggest that the outer circle should be about 

 35 yards in diameter, and the inner circle 30 yards in 

 diameter. On this circular ride we might put, say, five 

 fences of different kinds, and, by means of the lunging 

 whip, we might drive our pupil at liberty over them, with 

 or without a lead. It is well to have these jumps made 

 particularly stiff, so that the horse will learn that he can- 

 not chance them with impunity. Without going to the 

 trouble of constructing an enclosed line of fences in the 



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