Jumping 279 



is very apt to hurt himself; I have seen more than 

 one injured shoulder from this cause. 



One way to set about it is to have a man at eacli 

 end holding the bar on the rests, or a second bar 

 maintained at the same height, and to jump the 

 horse firstly at liberty and then with a man on his 

 back. If he clears the bar well, the men holding it 

 should do nothing, but if it is a near thing they 

 should endeavor to jerk the bar up and down again, 

 so as to rap the horse on the fetlocks. It is not a 

 very difficult thing to do with a little practice. In at 

 least one country abroad where they are famous for 

 their high jumpers, it is not an uncommon practice 

 to cover the bar with leather containing sharp tacks, 

 point outwards. This plan is more effective and 

 does not make refusers, but it is barbarous, and we 

 may be thankful that it is unlawful in England. 

 The bar is, of course, let go by the holders if the 

 horse is likely to fall from jumping too low. 



Some horses are cunning enough quickly to as- 

 sociate the presence of the men in the vicinity of the 

 jump with the correction of the bar, and will imme- 

 diately chance the fence if they are absent. This 

 difficulty can be overcome if the bar is worked by 



