98 Cross Country with Horse and Hound 



exertion than the other would need to carry over a hun- 

 dred and twenty-five pounds. 



And whatever the difference may be in theory, it is even 

 greater in practice. When we consider that by balance 

 the horse himself must negotiate a fence, and how little a 

 thing upsets even a man on his feet, the trial it must be to 

 a horse to jump with a weight on his back all out of bal- 

 ance from start to finish is apparent. The wonder is that 

 one does not see half a dozen falls in the hunting-field 

 where there is but one. Drag huntsmen will hardly 

 appreciate this discourse on jumping, for they take their 

 fences as they take their ditches, flying. But to men in 

 timber countries it must be apparent, we repeat, that the 

 only one way to ride a horse and do it properly is by 

 balance. 



The crying need in riding-schools is some teaching of 

 sitting a horse naturally. " Buffalo Bill's " exhibition in Eng- 

 land was a revelation as far as seat was concerned. There 

 is no country in the world where they do so much horse- 

 back riding as in England, but nowhere can you find such 

 bad seats. If you wish to see how not to ride, and a fine 

 example of grip riding, pay a visit to Hyde Park. It is 

 bump and co-chunk, with from four to six inches of day- 

 light between their saddles and nineteen riders out of 

 twenty, the horses cantering at that. Grip does it. 



