90 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



to jump off his hocks; secondly, because he lacks 

 the necessary confidence; and thirdly (and this, I 

 am sorry to say, is the most common reason), 

 because he knows that if he does jump at that 

 moment, he will get a jab in the mouth. 



So that not only do we have to learn how to 

 put a horse at a fence, but we have to teach our 

 mount to take off when we ask him, in full con- 

 fidence that we will not punish him immediately 

 afterwards for so doing, by jabbing him in the 

 mouth, or ramming our spurs home. 



Those who have read through the earlier chapters 

 of this little book will know how to avoid being 

 " left behind " (which the jab in the mouth de- 

 notes), and should be in a position to inculcate 

 that confidence necessary in a horse before he will 

 jump freely. The next chapter will deal mth the 

 methods for training the horse on those lines which 

 will bring out to the best advantage that w^onderful 

 capacity for jumping which so many horses possess, 

 and which can be developed to such a marked 

 degree by patience and hard work. 



