HAND. 77 



allow their horses plenty of liberty, and certainly in- 

 terfere but little with their heads, even at the greatest 

 emergencies ; but their ideas of pace are unreasonably 

 liberal, and they are too apt to " chance it " at the 

 fences, encouraging with voice and whip the haste that in 

 the last few strides it is judicious to repress. It seems 

 to me they are safer in a " bank-and-ditch " country 

 than amongst the high strong fences of the grazing 

 districts, where a horse must be roused and held 

 together that he may jump well up in the air, and 

 extend himself afterwards, so as to cover the wide 

 " uncertainties " he may find on the landing side. For 

 a bank he is pretty sure to collect himself without 

 troubling his rider ; and this is, perhaps, why Irishmen, 

 as a general rule, use such light bridles. 



Now, a woman cannot possibly bring her horse up 

 to a high staked-and-bound fence, out of deep ground, 

 with the strength and resolution of a man, whose very 

 grip in the saddle seems to extort from the animal its 

 utmost energies. Half measures are fatal in a diffi- 

 culty, and, as she seems unable to interfere with good 

 effect she is wise to let it alone. 



We may learn from her, however, one of the most 

 effective secrets of the whole art, and that is, to ride 

 with long reins. "Always give them plenty of rope," 



