TRAINING 77 



and legs, especially in the last stride. The hands 

 should have a steady, firm feeling on the mouth 

 sufficient to collect the horse, and they should yield 

 the moment the spring is made, so as to give perfect 

 freedom to the head and neck. 



Some riders lean slightly forward, press the knuckles 

 into the horse's neck, and keep them there till the horse 

 lands so that they cannot interfere with the action of 

 the neck : this method certainly gives both horse and 

 rider confidence, but it is more usual to hold a horse's 

 head up and drive him against the bit when riding at 

 an upstanding fence. 



As the horse lands on the fore feet the mouth is 

 again felt and the legs closed in so as to bring the hind 

 legs under the body ; the rider should also be careful 

 to press the right seat bone down and to bend the left 

 knee, so as to balance himself and his horse in case of a 

 stumble on landing, and to avoid getting his leg caught 

 under the horse, if he should fall, which, as a rule, will 

 be on to the near side. A horse should be " made much 

 of " after he has jumped a fence well. 



When hounds are running, the main necessity is 

 to keep with them, and if a horse obstinately refuses 

 to jump the place chosen for him, it is best to let him 

 go to, or find, the place he does like. I have never 

 found it any good thrashing a horse from his back 

 when he refuses, as when he again feels nervous when 

 asked to jump, he cannot think of anything else but the 

 thrashing he expects, whereas he should be thinking 

 whether there is any real ground for fear. If a horse 

 refuses, and it is desirable to make him jump the place 

 selected, the spurs can be pressed in firmly and con- 

 tinuously, or a man, preferably on horseback, can be 

 asked to crack his hunting crop, as this will probably 



