174 HOW WOMEN SHOULD RIDE 



In jumping towards the sun, extra pre- 

 cautions should be taken. A horse is 

 often quite blinded, and unable to accu- 

 rately gauge the size of the jump he is 

 to take, especially if it is timber. When 

 the rays are directly in his eyes, the best 

 thing to do is to walk him up to and 

 alongside of the fence for a few yards, 

 giving him a chance to measure it, then 

 take him back and put him at it. This 

 must not be done where it will inter- 

 fere with any one else, but in any case 

 such a jump must be approached slowly. 



Wide ditches and streams are prob- 

 ably shirked as often as any kind of 

 jump. Too much preparation for them 

 excites the horse's suspicions and makes 

 him hesitate, then refuse. A horse 

 must be kept collected, yet sent along 

 too fast to admit of any faltering on 

 his part, and there must be no involun- 

 tary checking of his stride as the rider 



