THE NOBLE SCIENCE. ] 15 



not more than half speed at any ; but, as I have no 

 claim to professorship in this department, without pre- 

 suming to deny a contrary practice, I will only say that 

 such is the method of those whose style I most admire, 

 and that, in my humble opinion, the expedience of 

 collecting a horse, and slackening, instead of accele- 

 rating, his speed, when charging a fence> under a notion 

 (which I take to be erroneous) of providing him with 

 sufficient impetus, is founded upon the following rational 

 principles: — Look at deer, cats, greyhounds, any good 

 jumpers you choose to take for an example : watch 

 their voluntary action in taking a leap. They invariably 

 shorten their pace— the deer altogether into a trot, and 

 all others to that degree which enables them to concen- 

 trate their powers ; they cannot spring from an extended 

 posture. If it be supposed that time will be lost ; that 

 hounds must gain, irretrievably, upon you ; in short, if all 

 this sounds dead slow, it will be found that the most 

 haste is not always conducive to the greatest speed. A 

 horse hurried, ventre a terre, at a fence, cannot so well 

 measure his stride, and is apt to make a mistake in the 

 most essential point, the taking off; and again, in landing, 

 if his footing be not sound, or exactly what is desirable, 

 he can make no effort to recover himself— over he purls 

 — beyond power of salvation. If he have less impetus, 

 he can take off to the best advantage ; and, if landed in 

 difficulties, may escape with a scramble — a slight disturb- 



