CHAPTER V . 



One sez, "iv.oy 'oss a wunna joomp"; another sez, 



"Young mon, 

 Will your 'oss joomp? fur if a will, Oi wish as 



you'd go hon." 

 Sez Oi, "Oi niver 'oss'd afore, bur louk oup, fur 



'ere goes," 

 And Smiler med a rood roight threough and landed 



on his nooze. 



Derbyshire Hunting Song: P. COTTON. 



It is often said that horses are not fond of 

 jumping. .. opinion is that, if properly trained, 

 ridden, and bitted, they are just as fond of it as 

 they are of trotting down a road or of any other 

 work they have to do for their living. In some 

 cases they are obviously very fond of it. 



As a rule, refusing with sound, fresh horses 

 is due to the bit. But as soon as a horse gets 

 worn and groggy on his legs he is apt to refuse. 

 He hates the jar of landing over a fence, and 

 never jumps well until warmed up. If you don't 

 believe in the bit theory, stay and watch a "field" 

 come over some fence which everybody has to jump. 

 It is surprising how many of the men's horses get 

 a more or less severe "job" in the mout^. Ladies' 

 horses come off better, or did in side-saddle days, 

 for then, owing to their seat, they had to keep their 

 reins long, and so few men do that. 



hen a horse receives his rider's weight in 

 his mouth it must be uncomfortable - one may well 

 say painful. Ten to sixteen stone attached to his , 

 mouth with reins and a sharp bit, swaying about as 

 he jumps (the actual connection with the saddle being 

 of a slight and perfunctory nature), cannot be popular 



