LEAPING. 91 



that a horse is not fit to go through a run until 

 he is six years old. 



By the preceding remarks it will be seen 

 that unless a man can forego the excitement of 

 the chase he is not capable of breaking-in a 

 colt with the ultimate view" of making him a 

 hunter. 



To teach the colt to leap, the best way is 

 to take him over small fences every now and 

 then with hounds ; but it will be as w^ell to 

 give him lessons in cold blood also, and for 

 that purpose a few artificial fences may be put 

 up in a field, care being taken to vary them. 

 Thus, you may have a plain hedge, a hedge 

 with a ditch on one side of it, and another with 

 a ditch on both sides ; some hurdles, and a 

 plain but low post and rail fence. These fences 

 should not be high, three feet six inches to 

 four feet being quite high enough ; the hurdles 

 and post and rails should be firmly fixed, other- 

 wise the colt will soon find out that they are 

 easily knocked down, and then will not even 

 try to clear them. A fall or two over timber 



