124 LIGHT HORSES: BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



be unable to dispose of his youngster as a yearling or a two- 

 year old, yet he may find a buyer before the colt is old enough 

 to be ridden as a hunter. In this event some progress will 

 have to be made in his education. 



At two years old he may be taught to jump, on the plan 

 recommended by Whyte Melville, that is to say, he may have 

 to jump a low rail and little ditch to get to his feed of corn, 

 which he should have once or twice a day ; at two years old 

 he may be ridden by a light weight, and at this early stage he 

 should be taught to stand quietly while being mounted ; to 

 walk well, without breaking into that uncomfortable jog at 

 which some horses will persist in travelling, and not to start 

 with a jump. Directly a horse is found to be deficient in any 

 one of these points his value falls ; but a very moderate horse- 

 man should be equal to guaranteeing that his steed does not 

 fail in these elementary particulars. During the preliminary 

 lessons the colt will be held by an assistant while the trainer 

 mounts ; but as the colt grows accustomed to being mounted, 

 the assistant will hold him less ; but he should never be suf- 

 fered to move till the rider has both feet in the stirrups, has 

 gathered up his reins, and has given the signal to start. 



The more a horse knows of jumping the better, and if he 

 has been accustomed to jump his little rail and ditch for his 

 food, he will have done something to develop the muscles 

 which come into play when taking a fence, and he will have 

 learned something of the art of balancing himself when taking 

 off and landing. People are not all agreed as to the best 

 method to be adopted to teach a horse to jump a "natural 

 country," that is to say, hedges and ditches, water, &c. ; but 

 the writer is of the number of those who have implicit faith in 

 the efficacy of a leading rein. He believes in it for two 

 reasons. In the first place, the horse can have his initiatory 

 lessons before he is old enough to carry a weight upon his back 

 without danger to his legs ; and secondly, he will get accus- 

 tomed to banks, ditches, and other obstacles, without being 

 incommoded by a rider who may possibly pull at his head a* 



