TEACHING HORSES TRICKS. 41 



other as he jumps, he may be taught to make the leap on hear- 

 ing it. This is the common method for horses in the ring. 



The first lesson should be confined to the standing or walking 

 leap, and if the horse is led half a dozen times over in the man- 

 ner described this will suffice for the first day. The next day 

 he may be trotted up to it, or more lessons may be devoted to 

 teaching him to leap at command. With each succeeding les- 

 son the bar may be raised until it is as high as the horse's 

 breast, but beyond this there is no necessity with common ani- 

 mals intended merely for private riding. Neither should the 

 horse be wearied and disgusted with too long lessons. When per- 

 fect in his lessons a boy may be placed upon his back to ride 

 him over. The boy must be a good rider, for should the horse 

 stop suddenly at the bar and throw his rider the maneuver will 

 be repeated. A sack containing a couple of bushels of com is 

 sometimes used instead of the boy, but the boy is better. 



TO MAKE A HORSE STAND ERECT. 



To make a horse stand upon his hind feet it is only necessary 

 to compel him to rear up, and then to keep him in that position 

 by gently striking him with the whip either under the fore-arm 

 or under the chin. At first it will be necessary to allow him to 

 resume his natural position after standing erect for a moment or 

 two, but in a little while he will learn to keep his balance for a 

 considerable time. Care should be taken not to excite or keep 



STANDING ERECT. 



him in the erect position too long at first. There is also some 

 danger of his falling over backward if too urgently pressed. 

 Ponies may be placed upon their hind feet by liftmg them up 

 by the reins, taking hold under the chm close to the bit. By 



