" Schooling" 



the fresher they are the more sincere is our 

 thankfulness ; and one cannot have accomplished 

 jumpers without breaking a few bones occasion- 

 ally. A jockey's bones, lightly covered, are 

 never likely to be of much value to him or to 

 anybody else except for the purpose of riding 

 winners. 



An important point in regard to " schooling " 

 is not to go too fast at first ; let the young ones 

 learn how to take off properly before you try to 

 race them. That is an ordinance not invariably 

 observed. We often see lads driving their in- 

 experienced mounts at top speed over hurdles — a 

 great mistake. It does not give the young ones 

 a fair chance. It is like asking a child to run 

 before he has really mastered the art of walking 

 with perfect nonchalance. 



I used to "school" all my jumpers myself, 

 with a good lad to ride with me. Putting 

 " dummies " up for this purpose often ruins a 

 horse. He is rushed at his fences in a ridiculous 

 manner. He is thus flurried, does not take off 

 accurately, and lands anyhow ; he must be given 

 time at first. With reference to some of the 

 lads employed to ride "schooling" — they want 

 teaching themselves — an ex-cross-country rider 

 remarked : 



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