LEAPING 127 



After some practice in the ring, a 



woman may try jumping out-of-doors, 



for inside there is not a suffi- 

 Out of Doors 



cient variety of obstacles; and 



she should then have a breast-plate at- 

 tached to her saddle. By this time she 

 should, in jumping, hold her reins in 

 one hand, the snaffle inside, curb outside, 

 and quite loose. As she goes towards a 

 jump, her right hand should be placed 

 in front of the left on the snaffle to 

 steady the horse. In this way she can 

 remove it without leaving an uneven 

 pressure on the horse's mouth, as 

 would be the case if, as is customary, 

 her hand had rested on the two right 

 reins, then been suddenly withdrawn in 

 order to urge the horse with the whip, 

 or to protect the face from overhang- 

 ing branches. 



The most favorable conditions under 

 which a woman may begin jumping in 



