CLEARING A FENCE. i35 



hind legs are brought down on the ground in a straightened 

 out position {see the off hind in Figs. 117 and 141), and 

 leave it in the same attitude (see Fig. 143), they are some- 

 what bent at the hocks and stifles {see Fig. 142) at a time 

 intermediate to these two moments. Hence, we see from 

 these drawings that the propulsion from the hind legs in the 

 leap is due to their being suddenly straightened out, in 

 which action, the fetlock joint also plays an important part. 



As the ability to clear height depends greatly on the 

 power of raising the forehand ; the rider should refrain from 

 leaning forward when the horse is rising at an obstacle. He 

 should, on the contrary, if anything, lean back at this moment, 

 so as not tc put any unavoidable weight on the forehand. 



In almost all cases of the well executed high jump, the 

 fore legs are bent up together and the hind ones fully 

 straightened out at the moment of taking off {see Fig. 143). 

 The fore legs will be kept more or less in this position till 

 the fence be cleared. If the obstacle be "stiff" and the 

 horse hit it with his knee or forearm, he will probably fall ; 

 but if any part of the leg below the knee strike it, he 

 will generally get over all right, or with a "peck" at most. 

 Hence, a clever horse will try to avoid an accident by raising 

 his knees well out of harm's way. Another danger consists 

 in the horse catching the fence with his hind legs, which he 

 will best avoid by bending them as much as possible at the 

 stifles and hocks {see Fig. 145). Consequently, the clever 

 jumper, the moment his hind legs quit the ground when taking 

 off, will tuck them under him as if they were on springs 

 suddenly let go, after having been drawn out. The slovenly 

 fencer, on the contrary, will drag his hind legs after him, 

 at the imminent risk of catching them in the fence and falling. 



