Earliest Riding Days 



able perseverance and pluck. One should sit as 

 still as possible when riding over a country, and 

 never drive a horse at a fence unless he is a slug. 

 He may jump better if he is not interfered with 

 at a critical moment. 



The great art in riding a beaten horse is to put 

 your whip down and not ride him into his fences, 

 while assisting him as much as you can with your 

 hands. I have no special faith in the efficacy of 

 spurs. I use what are called " dummies " — that 

 is, spurs with no rowels at all. When I won 

 the Grand National on " Ilex " — of which more 

 anon — he was never hit nor touched, and had not 

 a mark on him at the end of that long, tiring 

 journey. 



23 



