32 Horse and Hound. 



himself to jump. This allows him a chance to get 

 his hocks and hind legs, the powers of propulsion 

 in a horse, well under him. 



The general impression is, a horse jumps bet- 

 ter when allowed to go fast at his fences — the 

 impetus thus gained will enable him to take a 

 wider leap and he is really easier to sit and seems 

 to take it with less effort, but the only safe and 

 sure jumpers are those who check up and gather 

 their legs under them by a few short, well-cal- 

 culated steps (the same as a man does) before 

 taking off. 



A horse in height jumping raises his fore- 

 quarters, then suddenly straightens his hind limbs, 

 using the ground for a fulcrum, thus propelling 

 his body forward and upward. He should land 

 upon his forefeet first, but not too perpendicu- 

 larly, they receiving a part of the shock, the hind 

 legs follow immediately and receive most of the 

 shock and are in position to propel him on to his 

 stride. 



Before going to the field he should be jumped 

 over all kinds of obstacles, piles of dirt, stacks 

 of lumber, ladders, chairs, all kinds and forms 

 of fences, ditches, dikes, and streams, for one 

 can never tell what one may encounter in a run 

 across country. A picket fence is really less for- 

 midable than it looks, though there are many 

 horses which will take a five-foot rail fence that 

 will refuse a four-foot picket. If approaching a 



