Schooling Hunters 65 



hunters spring from the bad bringing up, bad hands, bad 

 seat, or bad temper of the trainer. 



Such is the right way to school hunters. The method 

 usually adopted — the wrong way — is about as follows: 



A promising half- or three-quarter-bred horse four or 

 five years old is bought in Canada. He has been broken 

 to saddle, but knows nothing about jumping. He arrives 

 at the owner's stable after a day and a night in the train. 

 The same day, or the next at latest, he is turned loose in a 

 runway with the bar at three feet, refuses it, gets a 

 whipping, is chased at it again and again, and finally jumps 

 it. Then he is sent at it again. Over he goes; over 

 again. ** Good ! " The bar is now put up to three feet 

 six. Over he goes, with a rap on the shins that knocks 

 the feeling out of his legs. "That 's all right. He '11 

 jump high next time." And so he does. At it again. 

 " Good ! " He clears the bar with a foot to spare. " He 

 will make a hunter; no mistake." Up goes the bar to 

 four feet. This last jump rattles the novice. He 

 jumped so high before that he was frightened by the 

 height he found himself at. He begins to tremble, now it 

 is over, at the mere recollection of it. *' Send him at it 

 again." After him they go, whip in hand, shouting and 

 yelling enough to frighten an Indian. In this next effort 

 the poor horse loses heart at the last moment, braces his 

 feet, slips, and slides against the bars shoulder-high. The 

 bars fall with a terrible rattle and crash at his feet. 



"Put them up again! Don't let him go back to the 

 stable without making him accomplish what you set out to 

 do." At the bars goes Novice again, with a stinging cut 



