244 



JUMPING. 



manner just described, we may practise horses at liberty 

 over obstacles placed round a riding-school or other suitable 

 enclosure. 



The two most difficult things in teaching a horse to 

 jump, are to get him, when coming up to a fence, to 

 regulate his speed of his own accord, and to " take off " 

 at the proper distance from his fences, to do which he 

 will have to acquire the ability to put in a short stride, 

 or lengthen his stride, as may be required. This comes 

 naturally to some horses, and in many cases is undoubtedly 

 an hereditary gift. The clever sort appear to have an 

 instinctive dislike to striking their legs against, or catching 



Fig. 1 14. Boots for protecting horse's legs when jumping. 



them in, anything. Other horses, on the contrary, despite 

 careful instruction and severe blows and falls, seem in- 

 capable of remembering that they should not chance their 

 obstacles, especially when they become excited. 



As horses are apt to hit themselves and over-reach 

 when jumping, especially when they are new at the work ; 

 I like to protect their legs with boots or bandages. Figs. 

 114 and 115 show the kind of boots which I use. They 

 are made of strong leather, lined with thick woollen cloth. 



JUMPING FAULTS. 



That dangerous fault of chancing fences may be corrected 

 by driving the horse with the long reins over fences which 



