THE STEEPLECHASER 



dently of others. How often you see two horses 

 in a 'chase come to a fence, and the one not quite 

 up half a length or so back come a " regular 

 buster," because he gets confused and takes off 

 when the other does. 



The novice should always wear the very easiest 

 bit that will restrain and guide him ; and the vari- 

 ous combinations of the snaffle-bit are most use- 

 ful, as anything like a curb has the tendency to 

 make him fight it and gallop too high. A rail 

 should be put down in front of every schooling 

 jump, which will make him " stand away " at his 

 fences, and if this imitates the guard-rail of the 

 " Liverpool " he will jump that monstrosity the 

 first time he ever sees it, and quite as a matter of 

 course. He should never be schooled over this 

 fence (that is, " Liverpool "), however, for, if con- 

 structed according to the rules, it has an awesome 

 aspect, and many a promising young horse has 

 been ruined for the job by allowing him to get 

 frightened at a fence he never should have seen 

 until his blood was up and he went to it in com- 

 pany with other horses in a race. If the guard- 

 rail is down in front of every fence, he treats them 

 all alike, and one has no more trouble with him 

 at the ditch than at any other fence. Horses 



191 



