220 TRAINING IN INDIA. 



case the wall may be made 4 ft. high as a maximum. 

 Such a wall is quite formidable enough without having 

 any drain in front of it. An obstacle like this should on 

 110 account be topped with brushwood or other cover- 

 ing ; for if this be done the horse will be very liable to 

 chance the fence on account of the false impression its 

 appearance is likely to give him. I have seen most 

 regrettable accidents occur from horses being thus 

 culpably misled by constructors of steeplechase 

 courses. The stiffer a jump looks, the more likely is 

 the animal to be careful when negotiating it. 



5. Posts and rails, which may be made 3 ft. 6 in. high. 

 I have always insisted that the top bar should be made 

 very thick, so as to plainly show the horses that they 

 cannot chance it successfully. I think it is best to 

 leave the post and rails uiibushed. 



The water-jump may be about 13 ft. broad, and may 

 have a small hedge or bushed fence about 2 ft. high in 

 front of it. It need not be more than 2 ft. deep. Its 

 far side should slope up at an angle of about thirty 

 degrees. Long ago, water-jumps with straight cut 

 sides used to be a prolific cause of broken backs among 

 steeplechase horses. 



It frequently happens that, on filling an artificial 

 water-jump, the water soaks through the soil, and 

 renders the landing so soft, that a horse jumping on to 

 it, at speed, would, probably, come down. Such a con- 

 tingency may be obviated by putting down a few rows 

 of kurbee or reeds, and covering them over with earth, 

 so as to form a firm place for the horse to alight on. 



7. An Irish bank, which may be 3 ft. 6 in. high, 6 ft. 

 broad on the top, and may have sides sloping down at 



