LEAPING. 



When training a horse to jump, the trainer should be 

 very careful not to frighten the horse at the commence- 

 ment, as every horse is a willing and natural jumper, 

 and those horses that refuse are spoiled by bad training. 

 For this reason one must be careful not to take the horse's 

 own confidence, but teach the horse gradually, that 

 means every young horse should be taught to jump at 

 first without a rider. When he is so far advanced that he 

 takes the obstacles with pleasure, the trainer mounts him 

 and commences to jump low hurdles and small ditches, 

 and be very careful not to disturb his mouth. At the 

 beginning the young horse should be ridden with a plain 

 snaffle, as all refusing more or less, is caused by fear that 

 the bits will hurt his mouth, but I wish to make the 

 remark that if a man thinks his horse fit for jumping, he 

 has to be firm and decided, and force him over the jump. 



TRAINING. 



In the preceding chapters I have endeavored to 

 explain to you how to ride in the ring, and how to ride 

 on the road, and before finishing my book I wish to 

 make a few remarks about training. It is necessary for 



