52 Horse and Hound. 



a drunken man fall on the street — they do not 

 possess the charmed lives ascribed to them; their 

 many wonderful escapes are due to the manner 

 in which they fall, i. e., "all of a heap." 



If he falls or rolls upon you and you can grasp 

 him around the neck as near the head as possible, 

 do so, and hold him down until either assistance 

 arrives or you are satisfied your feet are clear of 

 the stirrups and no bones are broken, when you 

 may release him. Some may smile at this ad- 

 vice, thinking it impossible to thus hold a horse 

 down. I know it is possible, for I have person- 

 al] tried it successfully upon three occasions. 



Retain your hold upon the reins as long as 

 possible; you will find them of great assistance in 

 reaching ''terra firma" with less momentum, and 

 it may be the means of saving you a mad chase 

 across the field after your horse, and a man im- 

 doubtedly looks as big a fool as he feels in this 

 interesting occupation. 



If one experiences immunity from falls, the 

 constant dread of it will always be with him, but 

 one or two harmless croppers will soon set him 

 at ease, though no one will hardly assert that a 

 cropper is an enjoyable addition to the day's 

 sport. I would not, therefore, advise one to seek 

 it, but let it find him ready when it does come. 



One can never be a really good cross-country 

 rider until he has had a few falls; in fact, they 

 add to rather than detract from the nerve and 



