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and safe jumper. It is never desirable to put a 

 colt at a high, stiff fence, unless there are hounds 

 in front of him, because in cool blood he can 

 scarcely be expected to make his best effort. In 

 calm blood he might fail to clear a fence which, in 

 the excitement of the chase, he would fly over like 

 a bird. 



HOW TO RIDE THE COLT AT A HIGH FENCE. 



The colt should never be ridden fast at a fence, 

 with, perhaps, one exception — a hand -gallop is fast 

 enough. He will negotiate a five feet wall more 

 successfully at a canter than he will at full speed. 

 In fact, at the latter pace he might run straight 

 through it, or carry the fence away in front of him, 

 as he would have no time to collect himself suffi- 

 ciently to rise to the required height. A great 

 number of men think the faster a horse is ridden 

 at a fence the higher he will jump, but such an idea 

 is a complete mistake. If the colt is galloping fast 

 on approaching a fence he should be taken well in 

 hand and steadied down about fifty or sixty yards 

 before reaching it so that he may collect his legs 

 beneath him for the spring. Assistance should never 

 be offered to the colt in the way of what is scientifi- 

 cally termed " lifting him " if he does not require 

 it, for if he is well ridden he will generally ** lift " 

 himself best if left alone (Fig. 14). In fact, only 

 one man in a hundred can successfully " lift " a 

 horse at a fence, and the remaining ninety-nine had 



