Htir die Racing 231 



as he likes, at first ; jumping it at full speed 

 will very soon follow when once the young- 

 ster's natural nervousness shall have worn 

 off. If the beginner shows a disinclination 

 to jump, a good plan is to ride him by 

 himself over a farm, taking him over very 

 low places, gaps in hedges, small grips, &c., 

 until something like confidence comes to him, 

 then bring him back to your gorse fence 

 ao^ain. When he has surmounted this two 

 or three times in safety (and be careful not 

 to make his lessons too lono- for fear of dis- 

 gusting him with the whole business), he 

 may be taken at a low hurdle, with the lead, 

 again, of a good reliable jumper. If his 

 progress is still satisfactory, increase the 

 pace a bit, and let him come fairly up to 

 his fence at galloping pace. But you cannot 

 be too patient with him ; if he is nervous or 

 even perverse, you must be good-humoured 

 with him ; it is not a bit of use meeting ill- 

 temper with ill-temper ; you only make 

 things worse. As Charles Mathews said of 

 "Honesty" being "the ])est policy," so can 



