One great advantage, among many others, of teaching a horse to jump in the way I have detailed, is, that, by circling and turning the animal in front of the fences, we can cure him of all impetuosity caused by their proximity, and, at the same time, make him willing to jump, with thorough light-heartedness, the moment he receives the indication from the rein to go straight, and clear the obstacle. We can all understand, how valuable such training is, for the hunter and trooper.
Having rendered the horse quiet, given him a good mouth, and taught him to jump, we may next proceed to mount him in the following safe and easy manner, which, I believe, I have been the first to adopt. Put on a snaffle bridle, and knot the reins on the animal’s neck, so that they will not hang down. Place over the bridle a head-stall, to the off-side D of which, attach a short leading-rein, and saddle the horse. Take a strong cord; tie a double sheet bend in the hair of the tail with one end of it (see Fig. 30); pass the other end through the D of the halter on the near side; pull the horse’s head well round, and secure the cord by a slip knot. If the animal resents his head being brought round, tie him loosely at first, and let him go round and round, stopping him, if necessary, by catching hold of the leading-rein until he stands still. When he does this, he may be tied a little tighter, and so on. The requisite extent to which the head should be turned round, will be attained when he is tied up just short of what would cause him to fall down, if he were allowed to go round on his own account. The outer girth should be unloosed, passed over the cord, and buckled again, so as to bring the cord close to the animal’s near side (see Fig. 46); or the surcingle may be placed over it. Having taken the leading-rein in the left hand, we should walk the horse round and round several times, testing him as to his amenability to discipline by stopping him by means of the leading-rein, and then pulling him round again. If he resists these actions on our part, we may feel convinced that he is not under proper control. In which case, we may continue
[Illustration: Fig. 46.--Horse prepared to be mounted for the first time.]
