TEACHING HORSES TO JUMP 125 



in Ireland, I maintain that, as a rule, such animals will 

 turn out failures, and that far better results, for the same 

 amount of money, will ensue from buying " likely " young 

 ones and teaching them their cross-country business 

 when two-year-olds, if in Great Britain, or as three-year- 

 olds in India. 



As I have thoroughly discussed, in another work, 

 (" Riding and Hunting "), the subject of riding, I need 

 not dwell on it further than to repeat "that the art of 

 riding well over a country, chiefly consists in making 

 as little as possible of the jumps, and that the fact 

 of the rider treating fences and level ground with equal 

 indifference, will inspire his horse with confidence to 

 take things in the same spirit." Horses, like boys, de- 

 light in a scamper in the country; and both detest 

 their ramble being converted into a sort of " punishment 

 drill," consisting of marching backwards and forwards 

 over the same ground. Horses, also, being gregarious, 

 love to follow their leader. Hence, we should take a fresh 

 line of country as often as practicable ; avoid making the 

 horses jump the same fence twice consecutively; treat 

 the obstacles as if they were things that were only acci- 

 dentally met with during the stroll ; endeavour to make 

 the animals enjoy their outing as much as possible ; and 

 stimulate the young ones to go forward by the lead of one 

 of their companions, or, when obtainable, by the music of 

 the hounds in front. In order to furnish a good idea of 

 the kind of training for jumping which young ones get in 

 Ireland, I give the following extract from a letter I re- 

 ceived on this subject from Mr. Betagh, who has had great 

 experience with hunters and race-horses in Ireland : — 



