Introduction 



horses in a steeplechase schooled by myself at home ; and 

 the only injury I really ever received all through my career in 

 the saddle, and that not worth speaking about, was when riding 

 Juryman in the big steeplechase at Baden-Baden, I fell and 

 hurt my ankle to some slight extent. Major Tempest, George 

 Ede, and myself were the only Englishmen taking part in the 

 race, and were in front of the others, riding side by side, when 

 the horse of the first named swerving against mine just as we 

 took off at the brook, we both fell in, at the imminent risk of 

 being jumped upon by the other riders — mostly Prussian 

 officers — every one of whom came to grief. 



George Ede, on Lord Poulett's Benazet, who eventually 

 won, was the only rider, in fact, to get over in safety. 



I have been equally lucky hunting, and, until two years ago, 

 never broke a bone, and that was when riding a hack over some 

 timber. 



Some horses are apt to take off too far away from their fences, 

 and the best way I know of to cure them of this dangerous fault 

 is to jump them constantly over rather a low fence with a 

 wide ditch on the landing side. After a few lessons they will 

 soon learn to go well up to their fence before jumping. 



Others again have just the opposite habit of getting too near 

 their fences before jumping ; and for these, the best and safest 

 remedy is the guard rail, as it makes the horse stand away. 



The rider can often help his horse to get a fence in his 

 stride by pointing him the least bit either to the right or left, as 

 your own eye tells you when you are two or three lengths 

 away whether your horse is likely to get his stride wrong. 



Some horses hardly ever get a fence out of their stride, and 

 when they do, put a short one in with such rapidity as to at 

 once equalise matters. To ride such perfect chasers as these 

 is indeed to be in luck's way. I cannot impress too forcibly 



XX i 



