TEACHING HOUSES TO JTMP. 125 



better results, for the same amount of money, will 

 ensue from buying " likely" young ones and teaching 

 them their cross-country business, when two-year olds, 

 if in Great Britain ; or, as three-year olds, in India. 



As I have thoroughly discussed, in another work, 

 the subject of riding, I need not dwell on it further 

 than to repeat "that the art of riding well over a 

 country, chiefly consists in making as little as possible 

 of the jumps, and that th'} fact of the rider treating 

 fences and level ground with equal indifference, will 

 inspire his horse with confidence to take things in the 

 same spirit." Horses, like boys, delight in a scamper 

 in the country ; and both detest their ramble being 

 converted into a sort of "punishment drill, ".consisting 

 of marching backwards and forwards over the same 

 ground. Horses, also, being gregarious, love to follow 

 their leader. Hence, we should take a fresh line of 

 country as often as practicable ; avoid making the 

 horses jump the same fence twice consecutively ; treat 

 the obstacles as if they were things that were only 

 accidentally met with during the stroll ; endeavour to 

 make the animals enjoy their outing as much as pos- 

 sible ; and stimulate the yourg ones to go forward by 

 the lead of one of their companions, or, when obtain- 

 able, by the music of the hounds in front. In order to 

 furnish a good idea of the kind of training for jumping 

 which young ones get in Ireland, I give the following 

 extract from a letter I received on this subject from 

 Mr. Betagh, who has had great experience with hunters 

 and race-horses in Ireland : 



" My system of teaching horses to jump is to avoid 

 the whip and all harsh treatment in the preliminary 



