WATER JUMPING. 61 



to do ; and from th'at moment, if he be only fairly 

 " handled," he will remember, whenever he sees water, 

 the lesson which taught him that it was made on purpose 

 to be crossed. 



To maintain and encourage this doctrine, on coming 

 in sight of a brook, his courage, by very gentle touches 

 of the spur, should be excited, while, by pulling harder 

 and harder at the bridle, his speed inversely should be 

 slightly diminished, until he arrives within about eighty 

 yards, when, gradually relaxing the reins, and yet grasp- 

 ing them so firmly that it is impossible for him to swerve, 

 his pace should always be made to freshen as he pro- 

 ceeds, until on arriving at the brink it has attained its 

 maximum. In short, in riding at a brook, a horse should 

 be taught to feel that no choice will be given to him to 

 go in or over, but that over he must go, for want of time 

 to jump in. 



By this simple management a horse will very soon 

 learn not only to rush at water, but to enjoy the very 

 sight of it; and as his rider can then trust implicitly 

 to his honour, we end as we almost began, by stating 

 that, although there exists no obstruction in a run that 

 creates so many sorrows as water, there is no fence that 

 is so easy for a horse to jump, if he will but try ; in fact 

 on coming to it at the top of his speed, if he will only 

 hop upwards a few feet, his momentum cannot fail to 



