06 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



with, preferably, three adjustable rails as jumps, 

 one at each end of the row of hurdles, and one in 

 the middle. Wings are not necessary or desirable. 



Canter on a circle, and on each occasion you 

 face the rail, if you find your horse quickens his 

 stride, don't let him jump, but continue him on the 

 circle. After a while he will begin to think he 

 isn't going to jump, and then you can put him 

 at it, and so get him to jump it steadily without 

 rushing. 



Directly he has done this off one rein, then 

 change at once, and do the same thing again off 

 the other rein. In all early training jump each 

 fence alternately off the off fore and near fore, and 

 always arrange for the horse to have an equal 

 amount of training on both reins. In all this early 

 training I must again emphasize the importance 

 of having the rail very low, so that the horse can 

 jump it without effort. In this way he will learn 

 to jump off either leg, and land on the same leg, 

 and continue his canter without any change of leg 

 or " scuffle." Watch horses carefully as they 

 approach a jump, and instead of cantering smoothly 

 on whichever leg they happen to be on, it \\'ill be 

 often noticed how they " scuffle," in doubt, in 

 fact, which leg to jump off, or they will definitely 

 change in order to jump off the leg they prefer. 

 In either case they are, as likely as not, disunited, 

 and such grave faults can only be cured before they 

 are habits. Similarly on landing, a horse should 

 continue on the correct leg, united and true, 

 directly his hind legs reach the ground. Here, again, 



