HANDS, VOICE, WHIP AND SPUR.
HANDS.
Nearly every writer on the subject of riding is of opinion that "good
hands" are inborn and cannot be acquired. This may be so, but the worst
of hands may be greatly improved by good teaching and practice.
Continental horsemen do not, as a rule, learn how to ride across
country, but the majority of them devote much study to the various
methods of bitting and handling horses, and, as far as hacking is
concerned, their horses are better broken and better handled than they
are in this country. I am not alluding to the question of seat, as I
think Britons, and especially our Colonial cousins, can beat them on
that point; but it is evident, as can be seen any day and in any hunting
field, that more study should be devoted to the acquirement of good
hands. A course of school riding, especially on a made "school" horse,
which is a very light-mouthed animal, would greatly lessen the
clumsiness of heavy hands; or, if such instruction were unobtainable,
good practice might be had on a young horse which had been carefully
broken by a competent horseman. No young horse will pull until he is
taught to do so by bad handling, and a lady who wishes to improve her
hands might ride a young animal, in the company of an old steady horse,
and ascertain in this way what the natural condition of a horse's mouth
really is and how easily it may be controlled. I do not think that many
ladies have heavy hands with horses--their chief fault lies in their
want of control over their mounts. Many ride with the reins so loose
that their horses get out of hand and go in an uncollected manner, and
accidents not unfrequently occur from this cause. As horses which are
not well in hand in the hunting field will, sooner or later, bring their
riders either to grief or to disgrace, this slipshod method of handling
should be avoided. Although the grip which a lady obtains in a
side-saddle should render her entirely independent of the reins as a
means of support, she is handicapped by being unable to lower her hands
to the same extent as a man. I have found that with horses which carry
their heads too high, and throw them up if the rider tries to lower
them, a standing martingale attached to the rings of the snaffle affords
considerable help in obtaining perfect control, especially with young
horses. But I would not recommend a lady to use a standing martingale
with a horse which has not previously been accustomed to it, nor indeed
at all, unless she rides chiefly on the snaffle; for although it is
perfectly safe to use the curb with a standing martingale in steadying
and collecting a horse, it would be highly dangerous to touch it when
the animal is jumping. The majority of riding men regard the standing
martingale as dangerous--and rightly, for only men with good hands can
safely use it. If any sudden snatch or jerk were made at the curb, and
the horse in throwing up his head found himself caught by the standing
martingale, a very serious accident might happen. The standing
martingale in no way impedes a horse's jumping, for horses do not jump
with their heads in the air, unless they fear the curb. Fig. 48 shows
its maximum length. It may be said that ladies ought not to ride horses
which carry their heads too high, but many of us have to make the best
of what we can get in the matter of horseflesh, and employ the surest
methods at our command for keeping such animals under perfect control.
The standing martingale is dangerous in hunting only when going through
gates, as it is liable to catch in a gate post and cause trouble.
The faster a horse goes at any particular pace in a natural and
unconstrained manner, the more will he try to extend his head and neck,
so as to bring the centre of gravity of his body forward, and also to
aid the muscles of the neck in drawing the fore limbs to the front. The
pulling in of the head and neck by the reins will, therefore, be a
direct indication to the animal to slacken his speed. If he be well
broken he will not only go slower, but will also signify the fact of his
obedience by yielding to the bit by the play of the joints of his head
and neck. When he keeps these joints (namely, those which connect the
lower jaw to the head, and the head to the neck, and the joints of the
neck themselves) free from all rigidity and bears lightly on the bit, he
is what is called "well in hand," in which state every horsewoman should
endeavour to keep her mount, as it is the _beau ideal_ one that admits
of full control by the rider and of perfect freedom of movement on the
part of the horse. Having the horse well in hand, the rider should be
careful to keep the reins _at one unaltered length_ for the particular
rate of speed at which she is going. If she desires to increase it, she
should give her horse a signal which he understands, and should lengthen
the reins as may be required. If she wishes to go slower, she should
proportionately shorten them; but she should _always_ preserve
uniformity of speed at any pace by keeping a fixed length of reins.
Nothing is worse for a horse's mouth than the constant "give and take"
(in Ireland they call it "niggling" at a horse's mouth) which is
practised by almost every bad rider. This fact is so well recognised by
our jockeys that "Keep your hands steady" is the chief order which
competent trainers of racehorses give to their lads. When a rider keeps
shifting the position of her hands, her bewildered animal will be unable
to know at what speed she wants him to travel. All this reads very
simple, but sometimes we find that horses, especially when excited by
hounds, insist on going at their own pace. If the coast is clear in
front, and the horseman in advance has got safely over and away from the
fence to which a lady is approaching, it would not be wise for her to
interfere with her hunter, because, if he knows his business, he won't
fall if he can help it. But if, on the other hand, the only practicable
place in a fence is not free, the keenness of the animal must be checked
by a judicious use of the curb. If he is so headstrong as to refuse to
obey this command by slackening speed, he should be turned round either
to right or left, whichever may be the easier for his rider. When we
find ourselves in such a tight corner we must, for our own safety as
well as for that of our neighbours, exercise a certain amount of force
in controlling our horses. The "silken thread" method of handling, which
is, or should be, employed at any other time, stands us in poor stead in
the face of this difficulty. There are horses which will neither slacken
speed nor turn for their riders, and a runaway in the hunting field is
by no means rare. If any lady has a hunter who takes charge of her in
this manner, I would strongly advise her to ride him in a standing
martingale (p. 82), because with its aid she will generally be able to
turn him, even if she cannot stop him in any other way. A horse which
will neither slacken speed nor turn in any direction gallops on, as a
rule, with his head up, and, having succeeded in shifting the snaffle
from the bars to the corners of his mouth, he is impervious to the
action of the curb, because his head is too high for the curb to act
with advantage. On such an animal the standing martingale is valuable,
because it makes him keep his head in a proper position. A great deal
of sound sense has been written by different horsemen on the subject of
"hands." Sam Chifney tells us to use the reins as if they were silken
threads which any sharp pull would break, and Mr. John Hubert Moore
always gave the advice to take a pull at the reins as though you were
drawing a cork out of a bottle without wishing to spill one drop of its
contents. I have often, in my own mind, likened a horse's mouth to a
piece of narrow elastic which is capable of expansion up to a certain
point. When vigorously tugged at, it is no longer elastic, but as
unyielding as ordinary string. Good hands maintain its elasticity, bad
ones convert it into string. A sympathetic touch on a horse's mouth can
only be made by "good hands." A musician, if he is an artist, will
accompany a weak-voiced singer so sympathetically that the sweet though
not robust notes of the voice are heard to the best advantage: he is a
man with good hands. A heavy-fisted player, desiring to show his command
over the instrument, will try to turn the accompaniment into a
pianoforte solo, and the nice notes of the struggling singer will be
entirely drowned by noise. He is like the heavy-handed, unsympathetic
rider.
VOICE.
For pleasant riding, it is essential that the horse should understand
his rider's orders, which are usually given to him only by the reins and
whip. However efficiently a lady may use these "aids," the fact remains
that a good understanding between herself and her mount is better
established by the voice than by any other means. With a little vocal
training any ordinary horse, when going fast, will pull up more promptly
and with greater ease to his mouth and hocks, by a pleasantly uttered
"whoa," than by the action of hands and reins. Young horses, like
foxhound puppies which are taken out for the first time, show great
reluctance to pass moving objects; but if the rider speaks encouragingly
to her mount in a tone of voice that means he must go on, he will try
his best to obey her, although his attention may be divided betwixt fear
and duty. As a reward, his rider should give him a few pats on the neck
and speak encouragingly to him, and she will doubtless find that he will
make a bolder effort to obey her voice when he again finds himself
confronted with a similar difficulty; because he will associate his
first escape from apparent disaster with her voice, and will in time
have such confidence in her guidance that a word from her will be quite
sufficient to assure him that all is well. When riding bad horses at my
husband's breaking classes abroad, I found it best not to speak to them;
for a bond of friendship had not been established between us, and I
noticed that the sound of my voice often stirred up their angry passions
by reminding them, I suppose, of some former rider who had scolded them
while ill-treating them. It was unsafe even to pat and try to be
friendly with such spoiled horses. I remember a very violent animal in
Pretoria which showed resentment in this respect by rushing at me after
I had dismounted, simply because I endeavoured to pat and say a kind
word to him. I have no doubt that he would have accepted my well-meant
advances if we had had time to mutually understand each other. A show
jumper named Mons Meg was so terrified of the man who used to ride her
that, on hearing his voice, even from a distance, she would break out in
a perspiration and stand trembling with terror. The mare was really so
kind that we had her for a time at Ward's Riding School, and she was
ridden without reins over jumps by several of our pupils. I took her to
ride in a jumping competition at the Agricultural Hall; but,
unfortunately, the rider she disliked came to her stall and spoke to
her, with the usual result, and when I got on her back she was violently
agitated, and refused the second fence, which was a gate. At one moment
it seemed as though she would have brought us both to grief, for she
tried to jump out of the ring among the people--a feat, I was afterwards
told, she had performed on more than one occasion. She would always jump
kindly when away from the hated show ring, where she must at some time
or other have been badly treated. When animals get into a state of
nervous excitement, a few pats on the neck and a soothing word or two
often act like magic in calming them down. A mare which was lent me in
Calcutta by a horse importer, and on which I won a cup in an open
jumping competition, was in such a state of nervousness that she would
not let me take the trophy until I patted and spoke to her, and the
presentation was then effected without a scene. This animal, which was a
well-bred Australian, was a stranger to me, and had never carried a lady
before that day. Nevertheless, she passed successfully through a
terribly trying ordeal, and I am certain that she would not have made
the great efforts she did in jumping, if I had not soothed and
encouraged her with my voice. She was only 14-2 in height, and was
competing against big horses, some of which were ridden by steeplechase
jockeys. The competition took place at night in a circus which was
lighted by electricity, and which was open at each end. The object to be
jumped was a white gate placed midway across the arena, and raised each
time that it had been successfully cleared. From the glare of electric
light in this crowded place, we had to go into outer darkness and
carefully avoid the tent pegs and ropes in finding our way to the other
entrance. While we were waiting our turn to jump, we had to stand near a
cage of lions which growled savagely during the whole time, and also in
the vicinity of two camels. My mount disliked the camels far more than
the lions; in fact, she hated the sight of them, and would have done her
best to escape, if I had not turned her head away from them and patted
and soothed her. Mr. Frank Fillis, who was the proprietor of the circus,
told me that horses have such an antipathy to camels that they will not
drink, however thirsty they may be, from a bucket which has been used
by one of these long-necked animals. By-the-bye, my acquisition of this
cup caused me to be branded as a "circus rider" by the ladies in a
Little Pedlington village in this country; for when the local society
leader called on me, I was out, and my son, by way of entertaining her,
showed her "the cup that mother won in a circus!"
In order for the voice to be effective, the word of command must be
given at the moment when a horse is about to play up in any way, not
after he has committed a fault, and therefore a knowledge of horses and
their ways is necessary before we can use the voice properly. It is
always advisable to keep an eye on our mount, because if we do not do
so, we shall be unable to seize the generally brief moment which exists
between the thought of evil in the animal's mind and its execution.
Those who have lived much among horses must have frequently noticed this
preparatory period before a horse plays up, and no doubt have profited
by the warning their experienced eyes gave them; for if we see what is
about to come, and know how to avert it, we are often able to save
ourselves from disaster.
In order that the animal may thoroughly understand our words of command,
we should have as few of them as possible, employ them only when
necessary, and always in the same respective tone of voice, whether it
be a soothing word of encouragement accompanied by a few pats on the
neck, or the word "steady" given in a determined tone, and accompanied
by a restraining pull on the reins as may be necessary. The word "whoa"
is best uttered in rather a high key and in a drawling tone, when we
begin to pull up a horse during movement; but we should reserve
"steady," like the curb, for use in emergency, and should utter it in a
threatening tone of voice. The words of command which an inexperienced
rider will find most useful are a click of the tongue for a walk, trot,
and canter; "whoa" to pull up; "steady" when he is going too fast, or
indulging in unnecessary leaps and bounds; "go on," with a few pats on
the neck, if he is nervous about passing any object, or shying; and a
quiet word or two of encouragement, with more pats on the neck, when he
is in a state of nervous excitement, as, for instance, on his first day
with hounds.
[Illustration: Fig. 85.--Hunting whip.]
When visiting a horse in his stable to give him a carrot or other
tit-bit, his mistress should call him by his name, and he will soon
neigh on hearing her voice, if she always gives him something nice; for
horses, like poor relations, don't appreciate our visits unless they can
get something out of us. Lady Dilke had a horse which she had trained to
lick her hand. On going up to him in his box she would put out her hand
and say "Lick her, dear," and the animal would give her his mute caress
like a dog: it was very pretty to see how well the pair understood each
other. We may see the power of the voice exemplified in cart horses,
which will turn to right or left, go faster or slower, or pull up,
according as they receive the word of command from the wagoner who
walks beside them. The voice is also greatly used by polo players.
Horses are very catholic in their admiration for tit-bits. They like all
kinds of sweets and fruit, and will even crunch up the stones of plums
and peaches, which require good teeth to crack. An old favourite of mine
was particularly fond of chocolate and jam tarts!
WHIP.
The chief uses of a hunting whip are to help the rider to manipulate
gates, and to be cracked; the former being much more necessary to a
horsewoman than the latter. The crop should therefore be of a
serviceable length. It is the very silly fashion at present to have
hunting whips that are less than two feet long. Many are made of
whalebone, and are covered with catgut, their special advantage being
that their flexibility greatly facilitates the process of cracking. A
more serviceable crop for a lady is one of stiff cane, the thick end of
the handle of which is made rough, as in Fig. 85, or is provided with a
metal stud, so that the handle may not slip when it is pushed against a
gate. Formerly, two feet three inches was the usual length of a hunting
crop for both sexes. Three feet is a much better length for ladies, who
cannot "get down into their saddle" like men. Besides, a fairly long
crop is very useful for keeping a horse straight by the rider touching
him with it on the off flank when he wants to run out to the left, which
is his favourite side for refusing in the large majority of cases. A
short crop is useless for this purpose, as the right hand will be fully
occupied on such trying occasions in keeping the animal's head toward
the obstacle, and the crop should be able to perform its share of the
work by a turn of the wrist, care being taken that no jerk is
communicated to the rein.
[Illustration: Fig. 86.--Thong properly put on.]
[Illustration: Fig. 87.--Thong properly put on.]
The thong is about three feet ten inches long, is furnished with a lash,
which is about a foot long, and is attached to the keeper, which is a
leather loop at the end of the crop. Men generally like a thong of white
pipe-clayed leather, but as the colour is apt to come off and soil one's
habit, a brown leather thong is best for ladies.
The keeper of the modern hunting whip has a slit, near its end, through
both thicknesses of leather. In attaching the thong, the loop at its
upper end is placed over the end of the keeper, and it is then passed
through the slit and drawn tightly (Fig. 86). The old-fashioned keeper,
which is still greatly in use, is a simple loop of leather, over which
the loop of the thong is put, and the remainder of the thong is threaded
through the opening at the end of the keeper (Fig. 87). A wrong way to
put on the thong is, in the first instance, to pass the loop of the
thong through (instead of over) the keeper (Fig. 88). Some authorities
might take exception to the way the thong is put on in Fig. 89.
To facilitate the use of the thong, it is well to have a long keeper, as
in Fig. 86. The keeper of the whip which is shown in Fig. 85, and also
in Fig. 87, is too short.
[Illustration: Fig. 88.--Thong incorrectly put on.]
[Illustration: Fig. 89.--Thong not quite right.]
The chief use of the thong in hunting is to recover the crop if it
happens to be pulled out of the hand when opening a gate, before doing
which, one or more turns of the thong are consequently taken round the
hand. It also enables us to warn off hounds who approach too near our
horses' legs, on which occasions the whip should be held at arm's
length, with thong and lash vertical. A touch of the lash may aid in
encouraging a friend's horse to go through something to which he
objects, but a man would doubtless be handy to do the needful in such a
case. It would be well for a lady to know how to crack her whip, if her
help were required in turning hounds, or in hurrying up a laggard hound;
but this art should first be learnt on foot, under the tuition of a
competent man, in much the same way as Mr. Frank Ward teaches his pupils
to catch the thong with precision for four-in-hand driving; and the
lady's hunter must also be trained to stand having a whip cracked on his
back, before any experiment of that kind is performed in the hunting
field. It is a good plan to first accustom hunters to the cracking of a
whip in or near their stables, letting them see the performance, and,
after a ridden horse will quietly stand the whip being flicked, his
rider may safely crack it, supposing, of course, she is able to wield
her flail correctly, and without touching the animal; hence the
necessity of acquiring precision in this art before attempting it on
horseback. An experienced hunting woman tells me that women should be as
useful in the field as men; but I fear that is impossible, for we cannot
get on and off our horses as easily as men, to render prompt help in
cases of emergency; hold open a gate on a windy day, or perform the
numerous kindly acts which fall to the lot of the mere male. Besides,
however active and well-intentioned we may be, we are hampered by our
dress, and still more so by the want of it, in the case of an apron
skirt. If a crop is used for hacking, say in the Row, the thong should
be taken off, for it would look as much out of place there as a pink
hunting coat. The whip should be always carried handle downwards, on the
off-side, as if we were trying to conceal its presence, and not as
though we were riding with "a rein in each hand, and a whip in the
other."
In a country of hedges, like the Shires, it is well to acquire the habit
of holding the whip in such a way that the handle of the whip will
point directly backwards; for if it is inclined outwards, it will be apt
to catch in a branch or twig, when going through a bullfinch (Fig. 90)
or straggling hedge.
[Illustration: Fig. 90.--A practicable Bullfinch.]
SPUR.
The spur is inapplicable to the requirements of ordinary side-saddle
riding; because, in order to use it properly, it should be applied, as
nearly as practicable, at right angles to the side of the horse, so as
to touch him only on one spot, in which case the knee would have to be
brought well away from the flap of the saddle, and the toe of the boot
turned outwards. This would necessitate the use of a long stirrup
leather, which would bring the rider's weight too much to the
near-side, and would also render her seat insecure; because, instead of
being able to get grip by the play of her left ankle joint (p. 149), she
would have to draw back the left foot, and press the upper part of the
thigh against the leaping head. Her forced adoption of this feeble
attempt to obtain firmness of seat is due to the fact that if she raised
her left knee to put pressure on the leaping head, her foot, in all
probability, would come out of the iron, owing to the long leather being
slack at that moment. Besides, with a leather at that length, it would
be impossible for her to press her leg strongly against the leaping head
by the action of the ankle joint. A lady who rides with her stirrup
leather at the correct length (Fig. 79), can use the spur only in a more
or less parallel direction to the animal's side, in which case, the
spur, if it is sharp, will be almost certain to tear the skin, instead
of lightly pricking it.
The entirely wrong system of handling, feeding, and leading horses
almost always on the near side, teaches them to turn much more easily as
a rule to that side, which is a lady's weak side, than to the right.
Consequently, when they "run out" at a fence, they almost invariably
swerve to the left. In such a case, a man has his hands to turn the
animal's head and neck, and his drawn back right leg to straighten the
hind quarters; but the handicapped lady can supplement the action of her
reins only by the whip, which she cannot use very effectively, owing to
her perched-up position on the saddle. If she used a spur she would be
at a still greater disadvantage, because, in order to escape the pain of
the "persuader," the animal would naturally swing his hind quarters
round to the right, and would consequently bring his fore-hand still
more to the left, by the action of this misapplied "aid." If the lady's
whip is not sufficiently long to give her mount the requisite reminder
on the off flank, either by being pressed closely against it, or by the
administration of a sharp tap, it will be useless for straightening him.
Lady Augusta Fane, who is one of the best horsewomen in Leicestershire,
and who certainly rides a greater variety of hunters during a season
than any other lady in the Shires, is strongly opposed to the use of the
spur. She tells me that "if a horse is so sticky as to require a spur,
he is no hunter for this country; and if he is a determined refuser, no
woman, spur or no spur, can make him gallop to these big fences and
jump. I consider a spur a very cruel thing, and feel certain that many
men would find their horses go better, and jump better, if they left
their spurs at home, and many accidents would be avoided." Lord
Harrington, who is well known as a fine horseman, also dislikes spurs,
and has advocated their abolition in the Yeomanry. In this he should
receive the support of all good riders, as they know that
placid-tempered horses have better paces, higher courage, superior
staying power, and greater cleverness and tact in times of danger than
excitable ones. In polo, where the legs are far more required for
guiding the horse than in hunting, the use of sharp spurs is forbidden,
except by special permission. Whyte-Melville points out that my sex are
unmerciful in the abuse of the spur. He says:--"Perhaps because they
have but one, they use this stimulant liberally and without compunction.
From their seat and shortness of stirrup every kick tells home.
Concealed under a riding habit, these vigorous applications are
unsuspected by lookers on." I have seen more than one poor animal's side
badly torn and bleeding from a lady's spur. A lady who rides a horse in
the ordinary way with this instrument of torture, which she is unable to
use correctly, brands herself in the eyes of her more experienced sister
as an incompetent horsewoman. I have heard hunting men advocate the spur
for ladies; but they would probably change their opinion if they were to
try the effect of riding with one spur, and that on the left foot,
especially in a lady's hunting saddle. Very few men who wear spurs are
able to use them properly; Whyte Melville says not one in ten, and "the
tenth is often most unwilling to administer so severe a punishment." The
late George Fordham wholly repudiated "the tormentors," and said they
made a horse shorten his stride and "shut up," instead of struggling
bravely home. My husband, in _Riding and Hunting_, says it is the
fashion to wear spurs with top-boots, but many good horses go much
better without them. Whyte Melville remarks that "a top-boot has an
unfinished look without its appendage of shining steel; and although
some sportsmen assure us that they dispense with rowels, it is rare to
find one so indifferent to appearances as not to wear spurs." Men wear
spurs in hunting because it is fashionable to do so, but there is no
such arbitrary law laid down for ladies, and the presence of the spur
certainly adds to the danger of dragging by the stirrup; for, as Whyte
Melville points out, its buckle "is extremely apt to catch in the angle
of the stirrup iron, and hold us fast at the very moment when it is
important for our safety we should be free."
[Illustration: Fig. 91.--Spur-carrying whip used for high school
riding.]
In Continental high school riding, a spur is a necessity, as, without
its aid, the _ecuyeres_ would not be able to perform many of their _airs
de manege_. These ladies, in order to apply the spur with freedom, have
the stirrup leather so long that they are deprived of the immense
advantage, which the play of the ankle-joint gives us, of applying
pressure with the leg against the leaping head, and with the flat of the
knee against the saddle flap. The "school" rider seeks to strengthen her
weak seat by the employment of a very long and greatly curved leaping
head, which serves to support her leg while her knee is removed from
the flap of the saddle when using the spur. This leaping head, which
almost encircles the left leg, would, of course, be a most dangerous
thing to use when hunting. The spurred lady also has a spur clamped on
to her whip, in order that she may be able to prod her horse equally on
both sides. The whip-spur (Fig. 91) is like a wheel with sharp spokes
and no tyre. The application of the spur by Continental _ecuyeres_,
especially in obtaining the more difficult _airs_, is more or less
constant, so as to keep the animal in a continued state of irritation. I
went behind the scenes in a well-known circus in Paris, where I saw a
lady mounted and waiting to go on and give her performance. A man was
holding her horse's head, and a second attendant, with a spur in his
hand, was digging the unfortunate animal on the near side under her
habit, which he was holding up for the purpose. He took care to inflict
the cruel punishment on a part of the horse's body which would not be
seen by the public! The animal, being unable to advance, was lifting his
legs up and down (doing the _piaffer_), and sighing and groaning in
agony. When the circus doors were opened and relief thus came to him, he
bounded into the arena like a fury, amidst the thunderous applause of
the audience! I should have liked to have seen that spur-man punished
for cruelty to animals, for if the performance went on, as I believe it
did, every night, that horse's near side must have been in a shocking
condition! It is by no means an unusual occurrence for high school lady
riders to be securely tied to their saddles.
We must remember that a hunter has to carry his rider for several hours.
Hunting is not steeplechasing, and if a reluctant fencer cannot be
sufficiently roused by a touch of the whip, I fail to see what is to be
gained by spurring him on the near side, and thus giving him a direct
incentive to refuse to the left. Besides, as it is the opinion of some
of our best horsemen that nine out of every ten men who hunt would be
better and more safely carried if they rode without spurs, I certainly
think that no lady should subject her hunter to "the insult of the
spur," especially as she can inflict the punishment only on the near
side, and thus provoke a defensive attitude which she has no
compensating power to successfully resist.
Some years ago I rode in a jumping competition at Ranelagh. There were
about twenty men and one lady besides myself among the competitors. The
lady found at the last moment that she had forgotten her spur, and a
servant was sent to her trap for it, as she said she could not ride
without it. She used her spur, but was unable to get her horse over even
the first fence! Lufra, a well-known prize winner at the Agricultural
Hall and elsewhere, won the Cup, after a strong contest against my horse
Gustave, who was given a red rosette for being second. Gustave had never
jumped in a competition before. He was ridden in a plain snaffle, and
the only mistake he made was in just tipping the raised gate with his
hind legs. He was evidently unaware that it had been raised, for when I
took him at it again, just to show the ladies that he could jump it, he
cleared it beautifully, and his temperate style of fencing was greatly
admired.