JUMPING. 305 



sarily straight will re-act in the direction of the legs, and as 

 this will be behind the centre of gravity, the jerk on the irons 

 will have a strong tendency to tilt the rider over. Although 

 a weak-seated rider is sometimes "jumped out of the saddle " 

 by a " flippant " fencer ; bad riders, in the large majority of 

 falls, tumble off at the moment of landing. I cannot see how 

 a man can lean too far back when landing over a fence. 

 Besides obtaining safety for himself, he will reduce very con- 

 siderably the jar on the horse's fore legs, by leaning back 



Fig. 215. Clearing the water-jump at Sandown Park. 



(Figs. 214 and 215). In all cases, when going at a fence, a 

 man should ride with a long rein (Fig. 216) (not with a 

 short one, as in Fig. 217), so that he may not run the risk 

 of interfering with the horse's mouth when he lands, or of 

 being pulled over the animal's neck. The hands, one on 

 each rein and well separated, should be held little, if 

 anything, beyond the pommel. 



From nervousness, or from an insane idea of " lifting " a 

 horse, some riders contract the bad habit of jerking up their 

 hands just as the horse is making his spring. By doing this, 



20 



