HORSES TO JUMP 45 



easy it will be to keep his hocks under him. 

 Similarly, reining back puts a horse on his 

 hocks before presenting him at the fence. 

 Jumping slowly downhill will also teach him 

 to keep his hocks under him when taking off at 

 a fence. A series of small obstacles from one 

 to three feet high at seven yards apart is useful 

 for bringing horses back on their hocks and 

 tends to check them of the habit of landing 

 with too much of their weight on their forehand. 



STANDING MARTINGALES SAFE TO 

 SCHOOL IN, BUT NOT RECOM- 

 MENDED FOR HUNTING 



Not infrequently on the other hand one comes 

 across a young horse that jumps with his head 

 up and his weight too far back. Such a horse 

 will often land on his hind-legs first ; he cannot 

 extend himself well, and will consequently 

 leave his hind-legs in the ditches out hunting. 

 The best treatment in this case is to school the 

 horse for several days, or as long as is required, 

 in a snaffle, and when a double bridle is resumed 

 it must not be too severe and the curb chain 

 must be fairly loose. It may sometimes even 

 be necessary to school w^ith a standing martin- 

 gale on the nose-band to keep the horse's head 

 down. 



