THE SHOW-JUMPER. 251 



THE SHOW-JUMPER. 



The subject of show-jumping is a difficult one to 

 approach ; for the judging at one place is often conducted 

 under totally different principles to those at another ex- 

 hibition. Speaking generally, I think I may say that the 

 chief requirement of the show-jumper is to be able and 

 willing to jump a great height without touching the 

 obstacle. As he is not required, like the hunter, to jump 

 high and wide at the same time, he is trained to go up 

 to his obstacles, with the exception of the water-jump, 

 at a very short and greatly collected canter, so that he 

 may take off as near the proper spot as possible, and raise 

 his forehand to the required height before projecting 

 himself upwards and forwards with his hind legs. The 

 angle of elevation of his centre of gravity would conse- 

 quently be greater and better adapted to his work than 

 that of the free-striding hunter or chaser. As I have 

 analysed, in Points of the Horse, the movements in leaping, 

 I need not go into the subject here. Although attempts 

 are made at Ball's Bridge (Dublin) and elsewhere to make 

 the jumping ring a mimic hunting field, the usual con- 

 ditions of such contests agree with what I have said. In 

 the training of the show-jumper, we should first of all 

 teach him the short canter by collecting him and making 

 him circle and do the figure 8 at that pace on very small 

 circles. For example, he ought to be able to canter steadily 

 round a circle of eighteen feet in diameter, and to take 

 a stride of not more than five feet in length. My readers 

 will, I trust, understand that I am here writing about his 

 training, and not about his performance in the ring. In 

 teaching him to jump I would supplement the long rein 

 work with a good deal of practice " at liberty," over stiff 

 bars and gates placed on a small circle, say, one of twenty 



