No, never if you can help it, relinquish your hold of the bridle when you and your horse are together making the acquaintance of mother earth, but remember the rule, “a long rein,” even when not upon his back.
Should a horse peck with you, a very nasty kind of fall, I tell you candidly that you will be almost certain to come off over his head, unless you are sitting glued to your saddle and very far back indeed; but, as this is a sort of tumble which does not often happen, except when riding a deep drop, or crossing something very wide, you may prepare yourself for possible contingencies when going at the jump by allowing your body, from the waist upwards, to lie back almost to the croup, while you deal out unlimited rein, and keep your seat as firmly as any rock. In this way you cannot possibly be pulled over the animal’s head, and by leaving him plenty of bridle you will still further stave off the probability of mischance.
When a horse falls with you into water, stick to him if you possibly can, and clutch firmly by his mane, while leaving him the entire length of the bridle. If you happen to come right off, keep alongside of him as well as you are able, retaining a light hold of the rein, and assisting yourself by the saddle, the stirrup, or any other thing that may present itself, provided it does not in any respect hamper his movements or interfere with his mouth. I strongly advocate keeping the bridle in your hand if you can possibly manage it, but you should not on any account make use of it as a means of support. To do so will be to drag your horse’s head under water, a thing involving very serious results. So long as you leave an animal abundant room to stretch his neck he will not drown, even in the deepest river, and if you keep a cool head, and assist yourself by the saddle until you can lay hold of some side bushes, or until assistance shall arrive, neither will you, however near it you may fancy yourself to be.
When a horse falls with you into a ditch and immediately regains his footing without unseating you, do not allow him to essay getting out at the same spot at which he bungled, for probably the bank may be rotten, or broken away by the hoofs of other horses, and may thus occasion him to go back again. You should rather urge him forward a little distance, in whichever direction his head is turned, and as soon as your eye detects a sound spot in the bank, collect him for his effort, throw him the reins, and sit well back while he struggles up the side. I do not mean that you are to hang back, this will only impede him, but keep your head well away from him, or his may strike you a blow that will take you a long time to forget.
Do not neglect, however, in the event of walking a horse along a ditch which is skirted by thorn or hedge, to look out for protruding brambles, and push them aside with your hand as you go forward, lest your face suffer. On no account neglect this precaution.
The instructions given in the present chapter will be found especially applicable to ladies who are fond of cutting out a line of country for themselves, or whose pilots may either have got lost in the fray, or may not be sufficiently quick in turning to the rescue to prove of any immediate assistance in case of need.
In a forthcoming chapter on “hunting,” I shall have something to say on each of these subjects.
