HOW TO RIDE AT A JUMP. 115 



to ride him. lie once, almost at a stand, jumped a gate five feet 

 four inclies high which Mr. Atholstan Parsons turned his head 

 at, without expecting that the horse would take it. At one of 

 the Christchurch hunts, young Mr. Griffiths was riding; him, 

 and could not hold him, so turned his head at a large clump of 

 strong furze, nearly an acre in extent, into which " Barry" 

 jumped, and they both had to be cut out. 



236. — " In riding at a jump sit in such a position that you 

 nan use your heels instantly to assist your hands in guiding. Take 

 both hands to the reins with a firm steady hold, so that the 

 horse cannot possibly slacken them, and then, rather by threat- 

 ening than actual using your spurs, keep his whole attention 

 to the very spot you wish him to jump. When you are quite sure 

 that your horse is going to jump, shift your weight on to your 

 thighs and stirrups, keeping the same steady hold of the reins* 

 both in rising and falling. This will prevent any jar to yourself 

 or your horse. 



237. — " Horses that have once found out that they can 

 .please themselves about going where you direct them are never 

 very good hunters. With a good deal of trouble and fighting 

 you may teach them to go for yourself, but they will try on 

 their old tricks with the first stranger that gets on them, 

 and too often succeed in getting their own way again. 



238. — " ' Cleverness,' or that wonderful power to keep on 

 their legs nnder all circumstances which some horses possess, 

 ■can never be taught, it is purely a natural gift, and no horse is, 

 or ever can be any good for a hunter that does not naturally 

 possess it. With a hunter it does not mean merely a good 

 shoulder and foreleg, or a well placed foot, such as would make 

 a horse safe on a good road, nor a good eye, and good wind, 

 although of course both are essentially necessary, there must be 

 beyond all these a mental power of some sort that is well expressed 

 by the word ' cleverness.' For instance I have seen horses that 

 have been hunting for years that will day after day jump short 

 and get into a ditch not seen on the landing side of a fence, but 

 before 'Sulky' had teen hunting one day he found out that 

 when there was no ditch on the take off side he might expect one 



