8o TRAINING HORSES TO JUMP 



The rider can lengthen or shorten the horse's 

 stride as he wishes, consequently Jie watches 

 where the horse is putting his feet, and keeps 

 him on his hocks, and makes him take off when 

 he wishes. This helps the horse to measure 

 the fence, and he will seldom make a bad 

 blunder. Personally I prefer the latter class of 

 horse. In this country, where most officers 

 play polo, they cannot be expected to keep up 

 hunters throughout the summer for show 

 jumping, and most soldiers' horses require 

 a well-earned rest after hunting. The only 

 horses I have ever jumped at Olympia 

 have been troop-horses. No doubt in every 

 regiment there are a considerable number of 

 horses that could be trained successfully for 

 Olympia. The training entails very little time 

 and trouble, and is in no way detrimental to 

 the horse's military career. 



