172 



plained in subsequent chapters. Starting- a colt 

 suddenly should always be avoided, because some 

 unusual motion of the rider may cause him to bound 

 forward unexpectedly, and the result may easily be 

 a serious accident. 



HOW TO FALL OFF A HORSE WITHOUT GETTING 



INJURED. 



It just requires as much experience to be able 

 to fall off a horse successfully, as it requires to ride 

 one successfully. To the inexperienced this may 

 appear to be a very ridiculous notion, but it is, 

 nevertheless, perfectly true, because no man can ride 

 often to hounds without getting a proportionate num- 

 ber of *' spills " ; nor will he ever be a good and 

 skilful rider until he can count his tumbles by scores! 

 Coolness and a ready presence of mind are the most 

 essential factors in the scientific art of tumbling off. 

 Of course, we are only treating of cases where the 

 horse falls at a fence, because there is a wide differ- 

 ence between the necessity of tiunbling off, and the 

 more ignominious position of being tJiroivn off. In 

 describing this method it is intended to apply to 

 cases when the rider has a margin of time to think, 

 although, at the same time, the fact is not concealed 

 that there are many cases when, from the sudden 

 and unexpected nature of the fall, no time is avail- 

 able to deliberate. But when there is a moment or 

 two to think ** of two evils choose the less," and 

 this will be accomplished by observing four things, 



