THE SNAFFLE FOR JUMPING. 263 



up to a jump ; for the shock which the curb is apt to 

 inflict on the lower jaw when landing, and which is 

 frequently difficult to obviate, tends to make the horse 

 afraid to face the bit ; the result being that the horse 

 becomes unduly liable to injure his hind legs. The fore 

 legs, I may explain, being connected to the body by 

 muscle, and the hind legs by bone ; it follows that the 

 former are much better adapted to receive the weight 

 of the horse and rider on landing, than the latter. I have 

 seen many cases in hunters of injury in the hind legs to 

 tendon, ligament, and joint, caused by the injudicious 

 use of a curb. If the horse be too impetuous with a 

 snaffle, he should be again taken in hand by the breaker 

 to be taught obedience to the aids. I may observe that, 

 if the art of breaking were better understood than it is, 

 we would meet with far fewer inquirers after special kinds 

 of bits, with which to hold their horses, than we do ; for 

 they would solve the difficulty by getting their animals 

 properly broken. 



If we have the facilities for doing so, we might construct 

 a line of fences in the interval between two concentric 

 circles which have been enclosed so that the horse cannot 

 get out, except at the appointed exit. As a convenient 

 size, I might suggest that the outer circle should be 

 about 35 yards in diameter, and the inner circle 30 yards in 

 diameter. On this circular ride we might put, say, five 

 fences of different kinds, and, by means of the lunging 

 whip, we might drive our pupil at liberty over them, with 

 or without a lead. It is well to have these jumps made 

 particularly stiff, so that the horse will learn that he cannot 



