LEAPING 181 



the top of speed. The horse must not be at extended 

 stride. The canter, trot, or short hand gallop are the most 

 common preface, but we have seen it made under sudden 

 alarm from a standing position. The buck leap is made 

 from the ground by the simultaneous action of all four 

 legs at once ; but the superior strength and more favourable 

 angle of the hinder ones throw the horse forward as well 

 as up. When the wall or bank is topped, the horse, striking 

 with his hinder feet, the fore legs doubled, comes down by- 

 gathering his hind legs up and throwing out the front in 

 such a way as to land them all together — a most dangerous 

 and unpleasant concussion follows. Blaine says of a 

 fatigued horse, under these circumstances : 



" The horse in such case not being able to bear the jar 

 of a secondary effort of the joints to relieve himself, the 

 attempt often brings him down, and thus it is that buck 

 leapers are seldom safe ones. We would caution the 

 nervous rider against the dangerous custom, which some 

 have at every downward leap, of grasping the cantle of 

 the saddle with the whip hand ; for it not only displaces 

 the body and consequently unsteadies the seat, but it has 

 likewise dislocated the shoulder. We have seen others 

 elevate the whip hand at every flying leap ; and the action 

 appears to have become so natural to them as not at all to 

 discompose their seat. In Ireland this is very common, 

 and among the regular Pats it is accompanied with a 

 vociferous ' hough ! ' the rise of the hand and voice being 

 synchronous ; neither is it improbable that, from custom, 

 both the action and sound are inspiriting to the rider — 

 perhaps to the horse also." 



In leaping, much depends on the manner of bringing the 

 horse up to the leap. He should be taken up straight and 

 steady to the take-off, with the reins held in each hand, the 

 hands low, the curh-rein held loosely. The rider's body 

 must be erect, pliant, and easy in its movements. As the 

 animal rises, the body must be well thrown back, and so at 

 landing. The sitting a leap well is entirely dependent on 

 the due poise of the body. The weight then accompanies 

 the horse's movements, and the rider and his steed " keep 

 time." 



Timber Leaping is of various kinds — posts and rails ; a 

 stile, with o/'casionally a foot-bridge ; park paling ; double 

 posts, and rails, and swing-gates are the most common 



