258 RIDING VICIOUS HORSES. 



of momentum that will be almost impossible to resist, 

 even if the sudden shock be not followed by several others 

 of the same kind. The heavier the ground, the more 

 difficult will it be for a horse to buck, and the easier will 

 be the falling. Mounting a horse in water up to his girths 

 and then letting him " rip," is an old and safe plan for taking 

 the buck out of an animal. 



For evident reasons, the saddle for a buck-jumper should 

 be furnished with a crupper and breast-plate. A gag snaffle 

 will of course be the best general bit with which to ride an 

 animal of this kind. Or, having put on a snaffle with double 

 reins, we may unbuckle one pair at the centre, cross them 

 over the withers, and attach them respectively to the " Ds " 

 on each side (the near rein going to the off " D," and the 

 off to the near), so that the horse may not be able to get his 

 head down. He should then be ridden with the other reins. 

 This method, which I have often tried with success, is of course 

 more suited for breaking than for ordinary riding. 



Before mounting a horse which is inclined to buck, it is 

 advisable after having saddled him, to lunge him and turn 

 him sharply several times with the long reins (p. 205) for 

 a few minutes, so as to remove from his back the cold feeling 

 of the saddle, and to make him obedient to the reins. The 

 arching of the back when a buck-jumper is first saddled, 

 may be taken as a very useful danger signal. We may 

 justly feel safer in mounting him when his back has gone 

 down, than when it is up. If one has to ride a buck-jumper, 

 it is well for the first few minutes to have an assistant to 

 hold him by a leading rein, so as to check the horse to 

 some extent in his plunges and to prevent him breaking 

 away. 



Mr. John Stevens, from whom I bought some winners, when 

 he used to ship horses from New Zealand to India, tells me 

 that the Maories have a capital plan of riding buck-jumpers 



