Mind-power Horsemanship 249 



but by a lift of the will, or by the mind's power of control. 

 In the case of the heavy-weights who in every hunt club 

 get across country with more ease to themselves and to their 

 mounts, and with less fatigue to both, than many of 

 the lighter men, in spite of all sorts of reasons assigned, 

 may not the truth be that such riders, conscious of their 

 weight, in some way aid their horses by their mind's power 

 of control ? 



I never yet met a hunting man, or any man who had 

 much to do with horses, who did not believe that a rider, by 

 losing his nerve at a fence, almost invariably caused his horse 

 to refuse the jump. Conversely, if it is admitted that a horse 

 can be influenced by fear in the mind of his rider, why 

 should not the animal feel the effects of the opposite men- 

 tal state, namely, confidence or courage on the part of his 

 master ? What means can a horse possibly possess of feel- 

 ing the state of his rider's mind which do not equally apply 

 to the interpretation of any of the other power manifesta- 

 tions we have mentioned ? 



The great T. Assheton Smith came very near hitting the 

 nail on the head when he said: "Throw your heart over 

 the fence, and your horse will follow it." I would respect- 

 fully beg to amend that saying, in the light of mind-power 

 control, by making it run : " Throw your horse over the 

 fence, and stay with him the best way you can in the 

 flight." 



We have attempted to show that there must be not only 

 consent on the part of the mount, but will on the part of 

 the rider, to insure control ; that some men can ride 

 a horse as if he were an engine, the horse, in such a case. 



