LEAPING. 121 



increased, but lie should never be trotted or cantered 

 up to a ditch until he has been jumped over that 

 identical ditch several times standing. I am of 

 course speaking in this case of a horse's earlier 

 education. The time will come when he will have 

 to jump drains that are too wide to be jumped stand- 

 ing, but all small ditches should be jumped standing 

 first, and then the horse will canter up and go over 

 without fear or hesitation. 



If a horse is afraid to go up to a ditch, or shows 

 fear when he is broug^ht to it, it is a clear sio^n that 

 something has been done at some previous time to 

 frighten him. A horse that has never jumped a 

 ditch, and never been put at one, will (although he 

 may have a decided objection to jumping) evince no 

 objection whatever to going up to it and looking at 

 it, and will stand contemplating it as long as the 

 rider chooses. If, therefore, a horse shows any fear 

 beyond not jumping, it is a sign that he has learnt 

 something wrong, and has got that to unlearn, in 

 addition to what he has got to learn. When a 

 horse does this, the following plan will cure him and 

 give him confidence. You can easily find out what 

 sized grip or ditch he will jump, and the best way is 

 to ride him quietly up to one, and when you see he 

 means to jump, stop him and make him look at it, 

 and then take him away. The horse will be slightly 

 vexed at not being allowed to jump it, and when you 

 next give him a chance, will probably jump freely. 



