94 HORSE-BREAKIXG. 



will here relate a case in point. The hounds 

 were running w^ien a very high bank stopped 

 the field, who, one by one, Avere getting 

 through a gap in the fence, w^hen a horseman, 

 being impatient of waiting his turn, backed his 

 horse a few paces and rode him quietly at the 

 bank which was over six feet high. The horse 

 (a four-year-old) landed on the top, but owing 

 to its height wavered, and seemed inclined to 

 fall either backwards or forw^ards. The rider, 

 with great tact, sat motionless, and allowed the 

 colt the free use of his head, when he soon re- 

 covered his balance, and jumping down on the 

 opposite side landed in safety and joined the 

 hunt. Now, supposing an ordinary rider had 

 been in this predicament on the top of the 

 bank, he would have handled the reins and 

 thus either pulled the animal back on the top 

 of him or else have fallen on the opposite side ; 

 in either case there w^ould have been broken 

 bones, if not loss of life. There is one excep- 

 tion to allowing a colt to take his leaps as he 

 thinks best, and that is when going over water 



