BREAKING AND RIDING 213 



battle is fought out decisively, and he has won, 

 it will save him similar trouble in future — for a 

 horse once thoroughly beaten by a resolute horse- 

 man rarely plays up again — though, of course, 

 examples could be quoted to the contrary. But 

 this only applies to a really ill-tempered horse, 

 who refuses to be cajoled and needs a hiding. 



It has often struck me that men who are 

 thoroughly accustomed to riding possess a "seat" 

 which is in harmony with their character. A 

 very pliable man has a pliable seat, a nervous, 

 high-strung person has a nervous, high-strung 

 seat, and so forth. All this appears likely, if 

 you admit that character is discernible in writing 

 as many people maintain. 



Riding Horses up to Weight 



A very popular saying is that a horse " having 

 a lot of blood can carry far more weight." This 

 is true in a sense. It would be, perhaps, a good 

 deal more accurate to state that his pluck permits 

 him to stagger under an unfair weight, and though 

 at the time he may not, under excitement, appear 

 to feel it, he ultimately will. 



If a horse is only capable of carrying eleven 

 stone, it is absurd to imagine that you can con- 

 tinue to handicap him with a couple of extra 

 stone, without nature disapproving of this burden 

 by making him stand over on his forelegs and 

 straining him equally behind. It must be so. 



In jump-racing the very headlong pace makes 

 them carry the big impost — such as twelve stone 



