244 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



a fence to fly, while the bank is so narrow there 

 is very little foothold for a horse to land on 

 the bank and then screw himself over the rails. 

 Good bank- jumpers from Ireland, or from the 

 Blackmore Yale are quite nonplussed by such 

 erections. They seem to say to themselves, 

 *' What on earth is this ! I know all about 

 banks ! But what is this rail doing here ? " 

 They then proceed to chest the rail, and their 

 arrival in the next field is usually in an igno- 

 minious fashion ! It is wise to do a little private 

 schooling at home before attempting to jump in 

 public fences a horse is not accustomed to. In 

 this case it is well to place the trunk of a tree on 

 the top of a bank, and lunge the horse over this 

 until it quite understands what to do, and how to 

 do it. After it has learned this first lesson, a 

 small rail may be substituted for the tree trunk, 

 when the pupil should soon be perfect at re- 

 hearsal, and ready for crossing the natural 

 country. 



A " double " in Ireland signifies a bank with a 

 ditch on each side ; and though it is a formidable- 

 looking fence, it is a safe one for a bold horse, 

 when both the bank and surrounding ground are 

 sound. It is difi:erent in boggy parts, when the 

 foothold is treacherous. The writer once broke 

 some ribs at one of these in rather a curious way. 

 The mare made a bold spring, but the take-off 

 being very soft, she did not get to the top of the 

 bank, and while she was clinging to it, before falling 

 back, there was time for the rider to fling himself 

 out of the saddle on to the bank. Just as he had 

 done so, and appeared to be safe, the mare fell 

 back, and as she did so struck him with her head, 

 knocking him off his perch to the bottom of the 



