RIDING AND TRAINING. 3 I 



CHAPTER VIL LEAPING. 



IN order that he may acquire a firm seat, and 

 learn how to bend his body with the motions of the 

 horse, the beginner must practise leaping. 



The early lessons, in leaping should be made from 

 a halt. The standing leap is more difficult than the 

 flying leap, but the former has fewer dangers and 

 the rules- for the seat may be more properly observed. 



The beginner should be mounted upon a quiet 

 horse that jumps with willingness, and at first the 

 bar should not be higher than eighteen inches. As 

 the rider acquires skill and confidence the bar should 

 be raised by degrees, until he can keep his seat 

 while the horse leaps the bar at an elevation of three 

 and a half feet, when he may be satisfied that he can 

 ride a horse in the flying leap over any obstacle that 

 is within the powers of the animal. But the beginner 

 must maintain his seat perfectly at each stage before 

 he undertakes to increase the height of the leaps, 

 and whenever he finds that at a certain height his 

 seat is disturbed he should lower the bar to a point 

 that permits him to keep his seat in every particular. 



