THE IMPROVED ART OF FARRIERY. 305 



to leap it flying or a full gallop. In going at a leap, 

 the reins should never be held tight, because the horse 

 cannot use or have the free use of his shoulders and 

 fore-legs except his head be at perfect liberty. Many 

 riders, however, have a notion that a horse's head 

 should be held up a little by the bridle, with a view, as 

 they term it, of assisting him, and directing him to 

 measure his leap. This is, however, a very mistaken 

 notion, as many riders know to their cost ; it very 

 often is the means of pulling the horse into the ditch. 

 A horse will always learn how to measure his leap 

 if left to himself, better than wdien the rider attempts 

 to regulate his motions ; because, if his head be held 

 up and constrained by the bridle, he can neither see 

 so wxll where he is going, nor can he have the free use 

 of his shoulders and fore-legs, both of which are ab- 

 solutely necessary to enable him to accomplish the 

 leap with ease and safety. Sportsmen, in general, en- 

 tertain a curious idea, that a horse can extend his leap 

 if he discovers the ditch to be wider than he expected, 

 by taking an additional spring whilst he is going over 

 it. But this is certainly a very erroneous notion, for 

 after the horse has once quitted the ground with his 

 hind-legs, he can neither inc rease nor diminish the 

 exertion or spring with which he began his leap, be- 

 cause no point of resistance remains for his hind-legs 

 to spring from. 



In leaping, it is necessary that the rider should keep 

 his body back ; because, by so doing, a great deal of 

 the shock is avoided. The motion of the horse is, in 

 fact, similar to that of a rocking-horse — namely, he 

 hrst rises with his fore parts, and ultimately with his 

 hinder ones ; therefore if the rider projects his body 

 forwards at that period of the leap, he must inevitably 

 be thrown over his horse's head by the jerk which he 



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