62 HORSEMANSHIP. 



for the distance he will take to make the spring ; taking 

 care to keep the body well back, the legs closely 

 pressed to the sides, the bridle hand very firm, and 

 the spur ready to be applied at the moment of the 

 spring. If the horse suddenly swerve to the right or 

 the left, the eyes of the rider must be fixed between 

 the ears of the horse. Should the rider fail to attend 

 to these particulars upon such occasions, he will rarely 

 succeed in retaining his equilibrium, and the result will 

 be generally attended with immediate ruin to the 

 pleasure and comfort of the day's sport. The rider 

 must be very careful in the selection of his ground. 

 It will be preferable to choose a large leap with sound 

 land, to a much smaller one having rotten banks. The 

 continued want of firm footing in leaping will very 

 soon prove destructive to the best energies of the 

 horse. If the horse leaps into a deep brook or ditch, 

 the rider must throw himself to land as soon as 

 possible. If the horse reaches the opposite bank with 

 his fore-hand only, the rider must throw himself to 

 land in an instant, over the shoulder of the horse. 

 These imperfect leaps are frequently attended with 

 serious injury to the horse ; therefore the necessity of 

 careful and immediate examination before the chase be 



