124 HORSEMANSHIP FOR WOMEN. 



clean, but knocks the bar with his feet, it may be be- 

 cause he underestimates the height, as not only horses 

 but men too are apt to do in the case of open fences 

 made with posts and rails; therefore have a broad piece 

 of board, two feet long, stood up against the bar like a 

 post, and make him leap over it. If he still strikes, it 

 will be well to try the plan which M. Baucher so en- 

 thusiasticallv recommends for all horses, and which con- 

 sists in raising the bar a little just as the horse is in the 

 act of springing. 



It will be interesting to hear exactly what so great 

 an authority has to say on this subject. After remark- 

 ing that the bar should not be covered with anything to 

 diminish its hardness, he proceeds: "I let two men 

 hold the bare bar at six inches above the ground. The 

 rider advances towards it at a walk, and at the moment 

 when the horse, aided by the rider, takes the leap, the 

 two men raise the bar six inches" The horse naturally 

 strikes his feet against it. "I make him begin again, 

 until he clears the bar without touching, notwithstand- 

 ing the repeated raising of it at each leap. Then I have 

 the bar held at a foot above the ground, and, as before, 

 it will be raised six inches at the moment of the leap. 

 When the horse is accustomed to clear this new eleva- 

 tion, I have the bar gradually held six inches higher, 

 still continuing to raise it six inches at each leap, and I 

 thus succeed, after a few lessons given with the regular 

 progression above described, in making all horses jump 



