Manual op Equitation and Horse Training 71 



Every timo, during the course of training, that the 

 horse shows apprehension or enervation the bar is put 

 back on the ground. The kind and height of the obstacles 

 is often varied, and the horse is worked to both hands. 

 The full extent of the horse's power should never be 

 sought; it is by patient, quiet, and repeated work, over small 

 obstacles that his aptitudes are developed and he becomes 

 a sure jumper. The instructor should consider jumping as 

 a difficult exercise and give the lessons himself, aided by 

 skillful noncommissioned officers. 



At liberty. — Jumping at liberty in a circular chute or 

 in the riding hall may be employed usefully to perfect the 

 style of some horses, or to teach others who hold back, to 

 jump in their stride. But it is a very delicate instruction 

 which necessitates the presence of the oflEicer and all his 

 vigilance. 



Work in the circular chute renders the horse calmer 

 than that in a straight chute because they may be made to 

 jump several times in succession. 



This chute is built on ground measuring about 45 meters 

 long and 20 to 25 meters wide. It is composed of two 

 tracks, one within the other, each consisting of two 

 straight sides joined by suitable curves. Each track is 3>^ 

 to 4 meters wide. The inside palisades which inclose them 

 should be 1% meters high, the outside one 2 meters high. 



On the straight sides are distributed obstacles both in 

 height and width, made so that they may be jumped in 

 both directions. The interior track, reserved especially 

 for the gymnastics of jumping, has only obstacles whose 

 height may be varied according to the abilities and degree 

 of training of the horse. The outside track, intended to 

 make the horses skillful in the open, includes the more 

 important fixed obstacles w^hich the trooper may meet 

 across country — bank, mounds, road crossings, wet and dry 

 ditches, etc. Wide jumps: Ditches, covered ditches, and 

 those with guardrails or hedges, frequently found out of 

 doors, must be insisted upon. 



The instructor remains in the central part and directs 

 the horse's work by the voice and driving whip. 



Mounted.— When the horses jump skillfully and without 

 hesitation they are made to cross, mounted, several 

 obstacles chosen from among the most simple. In this 

 case it is well to have them preceded by a leader. The 

 riders try to leave the neck very free and they take hold 

 of the pommel if need be. 



