I40 LEAPING. 



time in getting away from their fences, which, being compara- 

 tively low, do not greatly affect the athlete's stability. 



We may see from the foregoing considerations, that for 

 safety and quickness in "getting away" after a leap, it is 

 essential for the fore legs to be removed out of the way of the 

 hind feet, and for the forehand, which was previously 

 depressed by the weight of the body falling on it (as in Fig. 

 146), to be raised by the straightening of the fore legs (see Figs. 

 147 to 151). These two actions, I need hardly say, have to be 

 performed with speed and precision. Hence, it is necessary for 

 the horse to see where he is going to place his feet on landing ; 

 so that he may be prepared for the required movements of 

 the limbs. If he be prevented from seeing when his feet will 

 come down on the ground, there will be loss of time in calling 

 the muscles of the limbs into action, and the probability of an 

 accident will be greatly increased. A common way some 

 riders have of making a horse, when jumping, fall or over- 

 reach in this manner, is to " throw up their hands," and thus 

 cause the animal to unduly raise and extend his head, which 

 he does with the object of "saving" his mouth; the result 

 being that the horse cannot accurately see where he is 

 going to put his feet. The rider, on the contrary, should 

 keep his hands low and should give his mount plenty of 

 rein, so as not to interfere with the animal's movements 

 when landing. 



Influence of Blood in Jumping. — Seeing the manner in 

 which the rate of speed influences the extent of the long jump, 

 we may reasonably conclude that a fast galloper, other things 

 being equal, would jump a greater width than a slow horse. 

 The possession of great galloping speed, however, would not, 



