HUNTING. 105 



without having what is called a ** run at it." 

 Never expect your animal to take such 

 obstacles at a stand, or under the disadvan- 

 tages consequent upon coming at them at a 

 slow pace. Should the leap be a river or 

 wide water-jump, suffer your horse to stretch 

 fonvard his head and neck when coming up to 

 it. If you fail to do so, you will most probably 

 go in, for an animal who accomplishes his 

 work requires his liberty as an absolute 

 necessity, and, if denied it, will teach you, 

 at the cost of a good wetting, to treat him 

 next time with greater consideration. You 

 will frequently see men ride pretty boldly up 

 to some yawning chasm or ugly bullfinch — 

 stop and look at it, hesitate an instant, and 

 then, by cruel spurring, urge an exhausted 

 animal to take it at a stand. This is truly 

 bad horsemanship, and leads to many direful 

 results. A good rider will, on perceiving that 

 the obstacle is a formidable one, turn his 

 horse round, take him some little distance 

 from it, and then, again turning, come fast at 

 it — k gallop, hands down, horse's head 

 held straight and well in hand, but without 



