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INDICATIONS OF JUMPING. 



It may appear to the uninitiated to be a gross 

 exaggeration of the actual facts, but it is nevertheless 

 true that an experienced rider can tell with reasonable 

 certainty when the colt is within fifteen or twenty 

 yards of the fence whether or not he is likely to jump 

 it, and, further than this, the rider can even determine 

 with wonderful accuracy whether or not the colt is 

 likely to jump it well. A horse will rarely jump if 

 his ears are lying back. In most cases he will swerve 

 and refuse. And if his ears are continually on the 

 move — the one back and the other forward, alter- 

 nately — a *' spill " may safely be calculated upon 

 when the fence is reached, because if he does jump 

 rider and horse will probably arrive at the other 

 side struggling together in a confused and awkward 

 heap. On the other hand, if his ears are straight 

 forward and stationary he will probably jump every 

 time without fail. 



THE rider's FEELING OF A HORSE. 



These are the principal indications of ascertaining 

 whether a colt is likely to jump and whether he is 

 likely to jump well. There are numerous other 

 sympathies and feelings, however, between the rider 

 and the horse which cannot possibly be imparted by 

 theory, but can only be understood and acquired by 

 practice ; and even a great amount of practice is 

 necessary to attain to anything approaching that 



