A FALL. 95 



or over a fence with a wide ditch on one side 

 or a ditch on both sides. When a wide-jump 

 has to be negotiated, the colt must be sent full 

 speed at it, so as to cover it in his stride, being 

 the opposite to high jumping ; for the higher 

 the fence the slower should the horse be ridden 

 at it. I was riding a colt to hounds once, when 

 a watercourse came in our w^ay ; it was not a 

 wide one, being only about twelve feet across, 

 but it was six or eight feet deep with bricked 

 sides and having very little water at the bottom 

 of it, altogether forming an ugly jump for a 

 young one who had never been over water 

 before. I sent him at it at a good pace, but 

 feeling he wavered on nearing it I swerved him 

 round and put him at it again, when he again 

 slackened speed, and knowing that he would 

 not refuse I allowed him to do as he liked. 

 He looked down at the bottom of it for a 

 second or so, and then gathering himself toge- 

 ther leaped over it standing, but fell on the 

 opposite bank with his hind fetlocks hanging 

 over the bank ; another three or four inches 



