HORSES TO JUMP 51 



Some horses require to be driven i.vell into 

 fJicir bridles right up to the time they take off. 

 Others merely require the rider to sit still and 

 give them their heads. Thus the so-called 

 "giving the office" varies with different horses. 

 The rider should be leaning slightly forward 

 coming up to the fence, i.e. the ordinary 

 position at the gallop. The weight is thus off 

 the back of the saddle and carried at a fixed 

 point (roughly about the dees of the stirrup 

 leathers). The rider should be holding the 

 greater part of his weight on his thighs and 

 knees, thus permitting the low^er part of his 

 leg to be free to drive on his horse if necessary. 

 This is most important. 



If the lower part of the leg is stiff it is lost as 

 a means of propulsion to a young horse. 

 If the leg is kept forward and stiff, there are 

 several disadvantages, especially if the rider is 

 a long-legged man. Firstly, on landing the 

 greater part of the rider's weight is borne on 

 the stirrup, which is forward of the centre of 

 gravity, and consequently comes too much on 

 the horse's forehand landing. Secondly, if the 

 horse makes a bad mistake the rider may be 

 thrown violently forward and, the pivot from 

 the stirrup being longer than from the knee, 

 the violence with which the rider's body is 



