NECESSITY OF CHANGE OF COUNTRY 71 



and made much of when he has done what 

 is asked him. 



Finally, whenever you are schooling, never 

 go alone, and never school on fences which 

 you don't know both sides of, or, better still, 

 have looked at both sides of. The first 

 precaution is necessary, because any accident 

 to yourself — such as a sprained ankle from 

 jumping — puts you in a very unpleasant 

 position if there is no one with you, as does 

 an accident to the horse if your presence 

 with him is required and you have no one 

 to send for assistance. The second pre- 

 caution may save you a promising horse 

 which would otherwise have jumped into a 

 trap and been injured. 



There is just one other thing which I 

 want to mention, and that is, change your 

 country as often as possible when schooling, 

 and never disgust a horse by jumping him back 

 and forward continually over the same obstacle. 

 After a horse which has been schooled by 

 either of the above methods has acquired 

 confidence and knows how to look after 

 himself, you can put up a quiet horseman on 

 him. Begin again from the beginning with 

 small obstacles and at a walk, and gradually 

 increase the size of the jump and then the 

 pace. I forgot to mention earlier that broad 

 banks should be chosen always for the 

 first lessons ; narrow banks at this time of 



