28 THE SPORT OF KINGS 



And it is for this reason that I advocate teaching 

 the horse to jump at home. A horse when he 

 goes into the hunting-field has so much to distract 

 his attention that though he may jump if sent on 

 after a known good performer, he will never 

 become really clever and well mannered. I had a 

 horse that had been taught in this way, and though 

 he was clever as a monkey, and a big jumper, very 

 rarely making a mistake, he was somewhat erratic. 

 I believe the majority of well-bred horses like 

 jumping, though many are a trifle shy of taking to 

 it at starting. The best plan I think is to teach 

 your young hunter to jump in the long reins, and 

 for this reason. When you have got him up to 

 the small fence — always begin with a small, but 

 strong, fence — he will probably dwell for a time, 

 then suddenly make a big plunge and jump wildly 

 and big. Under these circumstances even a good 

 horseman might take a little too much hold of the 

 horse's mouth when he landed. Every variety of 

 fence should be negotiated in the long reins, and 

 the horse should be encouraged as much as possible 

 by voice. When he has got to jump fairly in the 

 long reins, it is then time to ride him over fences. 

 Companionship is good for him here, but care 

 should be taken to let him take a line of his own, 

 and not to ride immed^ely in the wake of one 

 of the other horses. iWis no bad plan to let 

 him take the lead occasionally, and if there are a 

 few old hounds that will run a drag, they may be 

 looked upon as contributing their share to the 

 making of a hunter that should, for the sake both 

 of those who have to ride him and those who have 

 to ride in his company, know a lot of his work 

 thoroughly before he is taken out with foxhounds. 



