284 HOW TO RIDE A HORSE. 



horse need animating by ^vhip or spur, let it be done be- 

 fore you approach the leap. Any interference on the part 

 of the rider, at the time of leaping, is more likely to do 

 harm than good. In descending from the leap, tlirow the 

 shoulders and body well back, to prevent a fall forward. 

 Confine yourself entirely to the standing leap, until both 

 you and your horse can perform it properly. This will 

 render the flying leap always easy and safe ; but if the 

 horse be first taught the flying leap, he will acquire the 

 bad habit of rushing at his fences. 



Do not disgust your horse by making him leap repeat- 

 edly over the same place ; rather lead him to believe that 

 the leaps are taken from necessity. 



It is generally best not to ride to the bank of a ditch to 

 examine it, and then turn to run at it ; if it lie in your 

 way, and you are pretty sure of its character, either take it 

 on faith and go at it, or don't attempt it at all ; any inde- 

 cision will render your horse nervous, and lessen his ability 

 to leap safely. 



The Art of Falling. — " He that will venture noth- 

 ing, must not get on horseback," and every horseman 

 must expect, sooner or later, to be thrown. Nimrod 

 says : There is an art in falling, as well as in prevent- 

 ing falls. This consists in getting clear of the horse as 

 soon as possible. If thrown over the horse's head, put 

 out one, and if possible, both hands, to prevent tiK) 

 shock from being received by the head ; — a broken collar 

 bone is better than a broken neck. 



If the horse falls, the rider should roll away from him 

 as soon as he possibly can, lest in his struggle to rise 

 again he strike him with his legs or liead. Instead of 

 losing hold of his reins, and abandoning his horse to his 

 own will, as the man who is flurried at this time invari- 

 ably does, he keeps them in his hand, if not always, per 



