378 THE HORSE 



such schooling is worse than none at all. There is equal 

 need to have the ground level on the far side of the fence 

 for quite half a dozen strides, or the horse will seldom 

 acquire the necessary dash. A steeplechase is a race over 

 fences, and not a jumping match, and this is a point which 

 seems to be often overlooked. 



When hunting-men who have never had much to do with 

 steeplechasing have the selecting of a point-to-point course, 

 they are apt to be quite oblivious of ridge and furrow in the 

 field to finish in, or gripes cut in it for surface drainage, or 

 the landing side of a fence being lower than the take-off, 

 especially towards the finish. They do not know what it is 

 to ride a horse at full stretch, for though they may often 

 think they are doing so in the hunting-field, a horse is never 

 extended there beyond three-parts speed, and not often even 

 that. At such a pace a horse can collect or extend his stride 

 when meeting slight obstacles, but when really racing home 

 at full stretch he has to blunder into them, and then there is 

 a great danger of serious injury to the horse. If the landing 

 is but 6 inches lower than the take off when racing home 

 bad falls are often the result. 



It is a mistake when schooling to keep on jumping horses 

 over very big fences, for it is then worth their while to 

 refuse ; and also the lads riding are apt to turn nervous, and 

 this is quickly communicated to the animal. If the fences 

 are a fair height both horses and riders enjoy the fun, par- 

 ticularly if they do not get too much of it at one time. 

 Every now and again a longer school can be taken, with one 

 or two full-sized fences in the course of it ; but I am quite con- 

 vinced that horses jump better, with more dash and nerve, if 

 the fences are rather on the small side than if they are too 

 big. A sure sign that a fence is too big is when the horses 

 jump sideways at it, and this is a frequent cause of falls 

 through the leader crossing the path of the horse which is 

 following close behind. 



When a colt is first being taught he should learn his first 

 lessons over a low fixed bar or something similar, which he 

 cannot knock down, and be led over it with a lunging rein, 

 without any weight on his back. It is an excellent plan 



