THE SHIRES. 249 



is down, the less likely is he to be hurt, and although, 

 as the old joke tells us, absence of body as regards 

 danger seems even preferable to presence of mind, the 

 latter quality is not without its advantage in the crisis 

 that can no longer be deferred. 



I have seen men so flurried when their horses' noses 

 touched the ground as to fling themselves wildly from 

 the saddle, and meet their own apprehensions half-way, 

 converting an uncertain scramble into a certain down- 

 fall. Now it should never be forgotten that a horse in 

 difficulties has the best chance of recovery if the rider 

 sits quiet in the middle of his saddle and lets the 

 animal's head alone. It is always time enough to part 

 company when his own knee touches the ground, and as 

 he then knows exactly where his horse is, he can get out 

 of the way of its impending body, ere it comes heavily 

 to the earth. If his seat is not strong enough to 

 admit of such desirable tenacity, let him at least keep 

 a firm hold of the bridle ; that connecting link will, so 

 to speak, "preserve his communications," and a kick 

 with one foot, or timely roll of his own person, will take 

 him out of harm's 'way. 



The worst fall a man can get is to be thrown over 

 his horse's head, with such violence as to lay him 

 senseless till the animal, turning a somersault, crushes 



