144 Cross Country with Horse and Hound 



from the rider's being himself out of balance or throwing 

 his horse out. Think, after all, what an easy thing it is to 

 overbalance a person when he is not on both feet. A sud- 

 den swerve of the rider's body sideways in mid-jump will 

 be sure to land his horse with a fall or a scramble to regain 

 his footing. Similarly a lurch of the rider's body back- 

 ward at the take-off retards the action of the horse and 

 makes him jump short, so that even if he clear the obstacle 

 with his fore feet his hind legs are caught on the fence. 

 Again, by an improper seat, if the rider's body lurches 

 heavily forward as the mount lands, the horse is thrown on 

 his head and a somersault is the result. On the other hand, 

 when a horse is given perfect freedom of rein in clearing 

 an obstacle, and his rider sits him by balance, a spill is well- 

 nigh impossible. 



