THE STEEPLECHASER 



dently of others. How often you see two horses 

 in a 'chase come to a fence, and the one not quite 

 up — half a length or so back — come a " regular 

 buster," because he gets confused and takes off 

 when the other does. 



The novice should always wear the very easiest 

 bit that will restrain and guide him ; and the vari- 

 ous combinations of the snaffle-bit are most use- 

 ful, as anything like a curb has the tendency to 

 make him fight it and gallop too high. A rail 

 should be put down in front of every schooling 

 jump, which will make him " stand away " at his 

 fences, and if this imitates the guard-rail of the 

 " Liverpool " he will jump that monstrosity the 

 first time he ever sees it, and quite as a matter of 

 course. He should never be schooled over this 

 fence (that is, " Liverpool "), however, for, if con- 

 structed according to the rules, it has an awesome 

 aspect, and many a promising young horse has 

 been ruined for the job by allowing him to get 

 frightened at a fence he never should have seen 

 until his blood was up and he went to it in com- 

 pany with other horses in a race. If the guard- 

 rail is down in front of every fence, he treats them 

 all alike, and one has no more trouble with him 

 at the ditch than at any other fence. Horses 



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