Steeplechase Riding 191 



either will get over the course. I should 

 think both — ^I'm certain one — will fall ! " 



I " passed." 



An old hand once said to me after I had 

 been knocked down by another horse refusing 

 in a steeplechase, "Why did you go at it (the 



fence) to the left hand of ? " mentioning 



the refuser's name. " You knew how un- 

 certain he was at his fences." 



" Yes, but how could I tell which way he 

 was going to run out ? " I replied. 



"Nine horses out of ten whip round to the 

 left, because you carry }'our flail in your right 

 hand. You should have been where I was, 

 on the rio;ht hand side of hira," was the 

 answer. 



The loss of a stirrup-irou is a thing of fre- 

 quent occurrence in steeplechase riding, and 

 thouoii we oug;ht all to be able to 2;et over 

 the fences comfortably without them, "finish- 

 ing " is quite a difierent matter, and the loss 

 a severe one. Besides this, if the iron is a 

 biggish one, and we have " weighed out fine," 

 it may mean disqualification. But if it has 



