262 HORSEMANSHIP. 



perfect in his mouth, and the setting on of his 

 head, try the hand of the horseman. The first 

 part of the fence, usually a ditch, may he cleared 

 without any difficulty, and so may the second, if 

 visible ; but it often happens that neither horse nor 

 rider is prepared for the second. Here it is that, 

 in our opinion, lifting a horse is to be recommended, 

 and in very few cases besides. Our objection to it 

 arises from the horse being led to expect it ; and 

 if he do not get it at the critical moment, it may 

 mislead him. In fact, it requires a hand nicer than 

 common to make a practice of lifting a horse at his 

 fences. Nevertheless, in the instance we have al- 

 luded to, the unforeseen ditch, it is useful ; as also 

 towards the end of a run, when a horse, from dis- 

 tress, is o'iven to be slovenly at his fences, if not 

 disposed to run into them. In leaping timber 

 fences, we consider the attempt to lift a hunter 

 dangerous — for a horse becomes a good timber- 

 leaper from confidence ; and if he finds he is to 

 wait, as it were, for your pleasure for him to rise at 

 a gate or a stile, he will be very apt to make mis- 

 takes. 



We have already observed, that timber fences 

 are the most dangerous of any, by reason of their 

 general strength ; if a horse strikes them with his 

 fore-legs, or gets across them, as it were, by not 

 being able to bring his hinder-quarters clear of 

 them, they are nearly certain to cause him to fall. 

 And he falls from timber in a form more dangerous 

 to his rider than when he merely stumbles and 

 eventually falls, by putting his feet into a ditch. 



