338 THE HORSE. 



run himself to a stand. K held too forcibly, he shakes his head, 

 and thrusts it out ; and the reins being knotted, he would pull a 

 rider out of his saddle unless he " gave and took with him." He 

 is then put on a harum-scarum colt, that wildly throws up his 

 head, staring at the sky, and, but for the martingale, making 

 toothpicks of his ears — an accommodation the jockey avoids by 

 a close seat, the head and body a little held back, and the 

 hands steadying his horse's head as best he can. He is then 

 put on a nervous, meek, timid two-years' old filly, with a mouth 

 of silk ; a rude touch of her mouth would throw her all abroad, 

 a sudden shifting of the seat would alarm her, and seeing or 

 feeling a hand raised would frighten her to death. How during 

 such a day would the one-way schooling succeed ? what, in such 

 three cases, becomes of the thumbs turned up, the hands so many 

 inches above the pommel, and the elbow fixed to a given point 

 of the side ? In either of such cases all school rule as to riding 

 a well-broken horse, would avail but very little indeed ; in 

 either case the best of hands would be requisite ; but in each 

 they must be brought into effect in a different manner. 



The steeplechase rider requires hands nearly as good as 

 those of the jockey. I say nearly^ for these reasons ; he does 

 not ride such young, half-broken animals as the former does. 

 Steeplechase horses are not usually colts; they are practised 

 before they are engaged in stakes ; consequently, more or less, 

 know their business. They know what the bit means ; and if 

 disposed to resist its influence, it does not arise from sheer igno- 

 rance, so, by force or humoring, they are to be made amenable 

 to it, without getting alarmed ; and, farther, it is not calculated 

 upon, in a general way, that a steeplechase will come to so 

 nice a point at the finish as a flat race ; so if a horse is allowed 

 to, or will, take a little liberty with himself in the run, it is not 

 so fatal as where it is presumed, or perhaps known, that, bar- 

 ring unforeseen contingencies, there will not be more than a 

 length difference between horses at the winning-post. Most 

 determined, headstrong, and sometimes desperate horses the 

 steeplechase rider has to contend with ; but it is not the wild, 

 riotous conduct of the colt, as often proceeding from fright as 

 from vice. We may sometimes bully an experienced horse out 

 of his tricks, or display of stubbornness ; but it would not do with 



