RIDING AND HUNTING. 117 



is an open ditch, or water, the pace must be increased con- 

 siderably. In hunting, most people take a pull at their horse 

 when he is about twenty or thirty yards from the fence ; and 

 the pace is again increased as the horse nears the fence ; this 

 slackening the pace gives both horse and rider time to see some- 

 thing of the kind of fence they are about to attempt to get over, 

 and to clear it. If it is an impossible fence, or if the rider 

 discovers wire in it, he has a chance of steering away from it. 

 Different horses require to be ridden differently at their fences ; 

 for instance, a free jumping horse requires nice handling, and 

 riding at an easy pace, probably j while a sluggish horse will 

 require a reminder or two with the whip and spur ; but a 

 horse that runs out and refuses, needs to be ridden very 

 determinately, yet not too fast nor too roughly, as either 

 method would give him greater opportunities of running out 

 or doing what he wished to do. If the horse is lazy, and dis- 

 likes jumping, he will slacken the pace of his own sweet will, 

 and try to refuse ; while other horses will, on nearing a fence, 

 commence to rush as though they were ever so eager to jump, 

 and either refuse or run out at the last moment, running out 

 generally to the left. This can sometimes be avoided by the 

 timely appliance of a cutting whip on the left side, or by 

 showing the horse the whip on the near side of his head, at 

 the same time bringing in the aid of Mr. Latchford (the spur- 

 maker) on the side you expect your horse to turn. It is said 

 that horses can jump walls and timber highest and safest when 

 they are just well into a canter, say when they have had a trot 

 of twenty yards, and have got into their second or third stride 

 of a canter. 



Horses when tired or blown require easing and nursing 

 while galloping, and more steadying when they are put at a 

 jump, as well as a little more of the rider's energy to let them 

 know he is in earnest, and means to get over the obstacle. 

 This is what is commonly called " pulling a horse together." 



