FORDING MAXIMS. 127 



may roll hira over. If yon are thrown off in deep water don't 

 ^aste your strength in trying to get on again, because you cannot 

 do it. You have nothing to spring from and the horse will 

 roll round towards you if you climb up him, like a floating log. 

 Hang on the mane or tail until your horse gets a footing again, 

 keeping only your head oat of water. A strong swimming horse 

 will carry a man in the saddle with armpits and shoulders well 

 out of water, but he does that at great inconvenience to himself, 

 and if the struggle is a severe one, you should lean as much of 

 your body under water as you can, which will keep the horse's 

 hind quarter's higher, and in a better form for swimming. 



204. — When a swimming horse first touches the ground 

 in a strong current, he is oltliged to instantly give his body a 

 •very strong lean up stream, which often unseats a rider that is 

 ■not on the look out for it, coming as it does at the same moment 

 that the stream begins to strike hard on the horse no longer 

 floating with it. 



265. — Crossing a river on a deep rapid ford is much more 

 difficult, and requires more presence of mind than swimming 

 across it in deep water. The most practised eye will be deceived 

 as to the direction, and you will fancy that you are keeping up 

 stream, when you are really going fast down it. Before you go 

 into the river, you want to fix upon the best point to make for on 

 the other side. 



If a straight line is practicable, which it seldom is, you can 

 take two prominent land objects, on the far side, that will give 

 vou the right line, and keep your eyes on them as you cross, 

 paying no attention to the apparent direction you are making in 

 the stream. When really keeping the right line on the ford, 

 the horse will appear to you to be walking almost straight up the 

 stream. Never hurry your horse on a ford but give him plenty 

 of time to choose his footing, and to make a good use of faculties 

 far superior to yours in avoiding dangers under water. If the 

 current has proved too much for the horse to bear against, 

 and you find yourself on the low edge of a ford, with no power 

 to get further on it, don't attempt to go back again, where you 

 would be sure to get washed off into broken water, in which 



