120 hOeses and eiding. 



ing,' is often done involuntarily, simi^lj because the 

 rider is holding on by the bridle, and the sudden 

 jerk throws his weight on to it. 



But the second, which is also wrong, is generally 

 done on purpose. 



When a j^oung horse has got over a fence success- 

 fully, he will often gallop off out of sheer pleasure 

 and satisfaction at having mastered a difficulty, and 

 if the rider immediately pulls him up and hurts his 

 mouth in so doing, it discomposes and disappoints 

 him. In these cases it is much better to let the 

 horse gallop fifty or a hundred yards, and then stop 

 him quietly, and he will soon cease to want to do so. 



All young horses seem to be more frightened of 

 ditches and water than hedges and rails, but they 

 are less likely to fall at the first two than the last 

 tw^o. A horse will often stop at a very small ditch 

 with a little water in it, which would not hesitate at 

 a fence as high as the ditch is broad, although the 

 ditch is much the easiest to jump and involves far 

 the least exertion. A horse should be taught to 

 overcome this fear by walking him through water 

 whenever there are any ponds or shallow brooks, and 

 he should be taught to jump ditches standing, letting 

 him look at them as long as he likes, bnt not punish- 

 ing him or hustling him in any way whatever. He 

 should be taken over very small grips at first until 

 he thoroughly understands the proper spring to take, 

 and then the size of the jump should gradually be 



