176 THE TURF 



that his owner, being convinced that he could jump 

 if he would, adopted the violent expedient of having 

 him pulled over his early jumps with cart ropes. This 

 however, leads one to the subject of 



SCHOOLING 



Almost everything depends upon the ability of the 

 rider who is put on the horse when first he begins his 

 lessons. He must have " hands," which are exceed- 

 ingly rare, and he must furthermore possess just that 

 combination of patience and firmness which is 

 so seldom found. Patience is usually emphasised 

 as the first requisite, and perhaps it is so, but at the 

 same time it is essential that the horse should be 

 made to perceive that he has his master on his back. 

 A few animals seem to take to jumping as if they 

 delighted in it, but these are the exceptions ; a few 

 others resolutely refuse to do anything of the kind, 

 and cannot be either forced or persuaded to cross 

 even a hurdle. Two notable hunters of a former 

 day — quasi hunters, that is to say, who ran in what 

 were then called Hunters' Races — Quits and The 

 Owl, could never be induced to jump. Quits would 

 not look at a hurdle, and The Owl was almost as 

 bad. As regards the teacher, he must carefully avoid 

 frightening his horse, though the early experiences of 

 Congress must surely have had a somewhat alarming 

 effect. The thing to be done is to begin gradually, 

 and to get on by degrees. A few faggots or a very 



