98 HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP 



anxiety on the horse's part. What is necessary 

 first is complete tranquilUty. 



When this standard has been reached by constant 

 and daily exercise, then the rail can be raised. As 

 we raise the rail, so we decrease the number of 

 times we jump it. As I have said, fifty times a 

 day is not too much for a low rail, say two feet high, 

 but ten jumps at four feet six inches is probably 

 quite sufficient, and this height should seldom be 

 used. If a horse can jump four feet perfectly, 

 then his training is practically complete. The rest 

 is simple. At least it is simple as far as the horse 

 is concerned, but every inch undoubtedly increases 

 the difficulty for the rider, for reasons that have 

 been explained in the last chapter. 



And as the rider requires as much practice as 

 the horse, it is necessary for us to jump a good deal 

 at four feet six, and sometimes — just now and 

 again — five feet, if we feel inclined that way. In 

 fact, I advocate it strongly, because once we are 

 accustomed to jumping big, stiff fences in our 

 paddock or riding school, it is surprising how it 

 helps us in the hunting field. Fences that looked 

 so formidable before, become quite simple, and 

 with our increased confidence we long to jump 

 what before we had looked upon as too stiff. 



Everything has an entirely different perspective. 

 Even the " national " fences lose their forbidding 

 aspect. 



And when we learn with what ease a horse 

 can jump four feet six, and clear perhaps twenty 

 feet in doing so, and when we have learnt how easy 

 it is to sit him as he does so, then we can go out 



