42 Silk and Scarlet, 



Teaching to When I wanted 'em to leap, I always 

 Leap. took them to a very low bar, knee high ; 

 hold 'em there till you get him on to his hind legs, 

 then let him go ; likely as not he'll drop on the bar ; 

 take him to it again and again ; if he turns a bit 

 nervous, wait with him ; when you've got him to go 

 from his hind legs, then start him the same way with 

 water, four feet wide. I was very fond of beginning 

 them vvith a bit of timber like the body of a tree in a 

 park. They can't get a leg in ; if they force them- 

 selves against it they pick over ; they must spread 

 themselves. When you get him to the fences, begin 

 with small places ; first walk him to them ; then trot 

 him ; you'll soon find you may take him at them any 

 pace you like. It's only confidence he wants ; then 

 you may take liberties with him, but do it in good 

 temper, and keep him in the same. He'll soon get 

 confidence for the stitchers. Whatever you do, never 

 go fast at them ; don't go too slow or he'll stop ; a 

 many horses have been spoilt that way; give him time 

 to get his hind legs under him ; if you're too slow they 

 buck, jump short, and don't spread themselves, and 

 then down you both goes. When you takes a horse 

 at his jumps, hold him steady by the head, not pulling 

 him hard ; the longer you hold him steady, the further 

 he'll go. A horse doesn't jump the farthest by going 

 over fast at his fences, or water ; he wants to get his 

 stride well up to them ; he can't go to last long if he'se 

 not kept collected ; he'll soon be beat, partickler in 

 deep ground, and ridge and furrow. When I go to 

 try a horse on such like ground, down hill is what I 

 choose : if they have action to do that all right they 

 will make something. That was Sir James's plan — 

 take 'em across ridge and furrow and down hill — I 

 don't care anything about up hill. 

 Sir R. Sutton's Some horses is very queer about water. 

 Cannon Ball. Sir Richard's Cannon Ball— him that he 

 gave a thousand guineas for — he'd always jump water, 



