TRAINING 99 



hunting knowing that there is Httle that can stop 

 us; we can walk round our next point-to-point 

 course without that "sinking" feeUng as we 

 inspect the " awesome " fences, and riding assumes 

 a level to which we had never before either expected 

 or hoped to attain. 



In our training we require no devices for making 

 horses lift their legs, no whips to urge them on, or 

 spurs to keep them straight. The cure is firstly 

 to lower the rail, and secondly to blame ourselves. 

 Horses usually rap a rail because the rider is wrongly 

 placed in the saddle ; they refuse because they 

 lack confidence (or exercise), or because the rider 

 is at fault. 



After having insured the jumping of the simple 

 rail, it is then our business to introduce variety — 

 to train the horse to jump ditches, doubles, water, 

 drop fences, walls, in and outs, fences with ditches 

 on the far and on the near side, and (for hunters 

 in particular) blind ditches. But once we have 

 mastered the post and rail of four feet high, all the 

 remainder can be taught with great facility and 

 rapidity. 



There is only one word of warning I would give, 

 and that is — avoid sore shins. Never jump on 

 hard ground, and if a horse suddenly starts refusing 

 for no apparent reason, have his shoes off at once 

 and look for corns ; and do not start blaming the 

 horse and punishing him with the whip, but realize 

 that horses, too, have feelings and reasons for what 

 they do. 



The jumping capacity of a horse is very wonder- 

 ful, and by careful training there is hardly a fence 



