304 STEEPLE-CHASING. 



driven a good eighteen inches or two feet into the ground, so 

 that a slight blow will not send them spinning. 



The object is by no means to throw the horse down. The 

 recipe which, according to Dick Christian, Mr. Heycock gave 

 to Sir James Musgrave, to take ahorse out and give him two or 

 three heavy falls over timber, is a bad one, for the horse will run 

 the risk of hurting himself, and that will destroy his confidence.^ 

 The less he falls the better : if he does not recognise the possi- 

 bility of falling, best of all. On the schooling and training 

 ground the fences should be, if not practically unbreakable, at 

 least very hard to break through. The horse is to be taught to 

 jump, and not to run through obstacles. 



To resume consideration of the first lesson, a safe and 

 steady horse should be provided to lead the young one over 

 his fences at first, in order that he may recognise what 

 is expected of him ; for the force of example is most potent. 

 He should also be carefully fitted with boots before his work 



^ Let it be added that the same authority contradicted himself, if indeed it 

 is to be miderstood that Dick Christian quoted the faUing theory with any 

 approval. At another time Christian as quoted by ' The Druid ' very wisely 

 said, ' They talk about a young horse wanting falls : if a young horse gets a 

 very bad fall it frightens him ; a couple of falls with low fences are well enough, 

 but not if you hurt him ; let him scramble in a ditch a bit, but not get cast. I 

 like the Empingham country best for young horses ; fences not too high, and 

 they won't break. When I begin a young horse with water, I walk him to it, 

 and let him look at it ; I don't let him go away : never lick him, and, bless you, 

 he soon takes a dehght in it. Grimaldi, he was a charming horse ; he never 

 would look at water at first. Mr. Oabaldeston, he comes to me in Day's shop 

 here, and he savs, " I want you, Dick, to go to Brixworth directly : I've made 

 a match with Colonel Charritie's Napoleon for 500 guineas, over the Dunchurch 

 country : there's a brook, and Grimaldi's lost me two races already that way." 

 So I said I'd like to go to Croxton races, and I'd be at Brixworth by two in the 

 morning ; and so I was there, sure enough, and I got him over some water the 

 first time, after he had smelt at it abit, and made him quite handy. " The Squire " 

 and me we went over the ground ; and " the Squire," he says, " Grimaldi will 

 never jump this water, Dick." I says, " I'll bet you a guinea he will, Squire." 

 I went and fathomed it, and found a place; so I told him— " when you're 

 running I'll stand there, and put my hat on the top of my whip ; come right at 

 me, and keep him going." Bless you! he jumped it like nothing at all, and 

 won. Becher was on Napoleon; he was stronger, I think, than Ulliver; Jem 

 Mason's not so hard as them two,' 



