3 1 6 6" TEEPLE- CHA SING. 



The easiest course is usually the most dangerous. If the 

 going is good, and the fences are small, the horses will gallop 

 over the jumps in a way which makes each leap a risk. To a 

 certain extent horses must, to employ this easily comprehensible 

 term, gallop over their fences ; but this by no means signifies 

 that they should not be held together and steadied when they 

 jump. This is most essential ; for, if hurried, driven recklessly 

 at a fence, a horse, even if he be clever and well-practised, is 

 likely to make a mistake, to take off too soon, to get right 

 under the fence so that he cannot clear it, or, perhaps the most 

 probable result of all, to overjump himself so that he cannot 

 recover and must fall. 



If, instead of this, the fences are fairly large, so that the 

 rider is obliged to steady his horse for the effort, the danger of 

 a fall is greatly decreased. The animal, instead of rushing at 

 the obstacle in a loose and unconnected way, gets his hind legs 

 well under him, collects his strength, is to the fullest extent 

 master of his powers, and so is likely to clear the jump, and 

 to land as he must do to get well away again, without a pause 

 or a peck. 



If this caution be overdone, as it may be by a timid rider, 

 the horse will not, of course, win his race. Discrimination 

 must also be used as to the method of riding at fences of 

 various kinds. A horse must of necessity be driven speedily 

 at a wide water-jump, or he will lack the impetus to carry him 

 over ; on every modern course there is always a low fence 

 before the brook, and this is a useful guide to the horse, show- 

 ing him where to take off. At this, the water being of mode- 

 rate width, a horse must gallop hard ; but should there be 

 a rail rather high up before the next fence, the horse must 

 be pulled together and sent at it in somewhat more collected 

 form. 



It is unfortunately the case that the majority of modern 

 made courses are of the same pattern. There are hedges, if 



the fence as it stands, but every year irresponsible people who have no connec- 

 tion with the sport write to the papers to say that they do not like it. 



