Trotting at a Jump. 147 



jump well from a trot. In fact some of the best 

 riders alwg,ys trot up to timber. It is a tempta- 

 tion of Providence to try to fly a stiff bit of tim- 

 ber, unless you have a wonderful jumper who 

 knows you well, or unless you are at the begin- 

 ning of a run, when your horse is in his best con- 

 dition ; and Providence should never be tempted 

 except when a considerable result lies trembling 

 in the balance. 



When Nelly takes the obstacle cleverly from a 

 trot, canter her at it, and gradually she will take 

 pleasure in hopping over it, particularly if she 

 now and then gets a tidbit at the other side. 

 Moreover, this tidbit will accomplish another ob- 

 ject. It will teach your mare not to rush as soon 

 as she clears her fence, which a horse who is 

 whipped at his jumps almost always does. By in- 

 sensible degrees and within a few weeks you will 

 get Nelly to jump three feet high, or even three 

 and a half. If she can do this in cold blood, 

 " clane and cliver," she will be able to do anything 

 within reason which you need when in company. 

 You can try her in just the same way at small, 

 then at large ditches, always keeping to the famil- 

 iar place and rewarding success, until Nelly learns 

 what jumping in the abstract is. After that, try 

 her at all kinds of things in moderation. 



There is more than a grain of good sense in 

 the idea that a horse does not want to be made to 



