LEARNING. 3^ 



chucked and worried, any more than you or I 

 could under similar circumstances, and so he 

 asserts his hberty. How often, in a steeple- 

 chase, one horse early deprived of his rider 

 will voluntarily go the whole course and jump 

 every obstacle in perfect safety, even with the 

 reins dangling about his legs, yet never make 

 a mistake ; whilst a score or so of compeers 

 wiU be tumbhng at every fence. And why ? 

 The answer is plain and simple. The free 

 horse has his head, and his instinct teUs him 

 where to put his feet ; whereas the animals 

 with riders upon their backs are dragged and 

 pulled and sawn at, until irritation deprives 

 them of sense and sight, and, rushing wildly 

 at their fences (probably getting another tug 

 at the moment of rising), they faU, and so 

 extinguish their chance of a win. 



I do not, of course, in saying this, mean for 

 a moment to question the judgment and 

 horsemanship of very many excellent jockeys, 

 whose ability is beyond comment and their 

 riding without reproach. I speak of the rule^ 

 not of the few exceptions. 



HaH the horses who fall in the hunting- 



