HOKSE BKEAKING. 345 



good part of bis weight, he is never safe across ridge-aiid-fnrrow, 

 iior in awJiward places, where he is obliged to creep np close to 

 the take-off, and gather all his legs together before making 

 the spring. When the horse is being lunged he may be made 

 to jump a bar, but not too often over a movable one, or he 

 finds out its tendency to fall, and becomes careless. A fixed bar 

 should be used as soon as the horse understands this part of his 

 business, and he will not hurt himself if he falls over it a few 

 times ; because there is nothing to hold his legs, and, conse- 

 quently, he either falls forward or backward without injury. The 

 bar should liave side guides, so that in lunging, the horse must 

 go over, or come back and face the whip of the groom following 

 him ; and when they are properly managed, the leading-rein 

 slides over them without catching, and the bar may be taken by 

 the horse in each round of the lunge. Some horses seem to en- 

 joy the fun when they are clever and good-tempered, but not 

 more than six or eight jumps should be given in any one lesson, 

 for fear of disgusting the pulpil. When he is perfect over the bar 

 with the lunging-rein, and after lie is hrohen to all his paces ^ he 

 may be ridden over it, or any small fences, in cool blood ; 

 but he never ought to be put at this kind of work till he is per- 

 fect at all his other lessons. For if he does not know what the 

 spur, or the pull of the rein means, it is useless to confuse him by 

 trying to make him do what he does not understand. No large 

 jumps should ever be tried without hounds, and when the colt is 

 willing to go when he is wanted over small places, it is better to 

 defer the conclusion of his jumj^ing education until he can be 

 taken out with hounds, as I have explained under the section 

 treating of the teaching of the steeplechaser. With hounds the 

 colt is inclined to follow the field of horses, and will soon 

 attempt any place his breaker puts him at ; though often making 

 mistakes, and sometimes carrying the fence before him into the 

 next field. Good hands, a firm seat, and an unrufiled temper 

 soon -make him know his powers ; and in a few times he learns to 

 avoid mishaps, and keeps his legs without difficulty. The break- 

 ing-bit already described is the best to ride young hoj'ses with, 

 as it is large, and allows of considerable pressure witliout injury ; 

 so that if the breaker is obliged to keep the head straight with some 

 force, the colt is not thereby dragged into the fence, as would be 



