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CHAPTER XIV. 

 RIDING OVER A COUNTRY. 



Jumping Riding Refusers. 



JUMPING. 



THE best way to learn how to ride over fences is to get on a 

 quiet, clever, and rather sluggish pony or cob, and " potter " 

 about on him in the country over easy places. Of course this 

 practice cannot often be got, except out hunting, on one's own 

 land, or on that of a friendly farmer whose permission has 

 been previously obtained. A gap through which the animal 

 can walk or climb over, will be a formidable enough obstacle 

 to begin with, and the novice should " hasten slowly " before 

 attempting anything of the three foot six or four foot cut- 

 and-laid hedges or posts and rails order, which may be looked 

 upon as a final test of this preliminary course of education. 

 A lead by a judicious mentor will be a great assistance to the 

 beginner, who will thus not only learn to stick on, but will 

 also acquire the equally valuable knowledge of what fences his 

 animal can safely negotiate. This information cannot be 

 obtained by practice over artificial fences (like those in a 

 riding school), which accomplishes its object in teaching a man 

 to " remain," when the horse takes off on one particular kind 

 of ground ; but is of little use to meet the varied exigences of 

 practical work in the field. As no two horses jump alike, the 

 oftener the tyro gets a change of mount, the greater ought to 

 be his progress. 



