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STABLE PRACTICE 
 
 OR, 
 
 HINTS ON TRAINING 
 
 FOR 
 
 THE TURF, THE CHASE, AND THE ROAD 
 
 WITH OBSERVATIONS 
 
 ADDRESSED TO ALL WHO ARE CONCERNED IN 
 
 KACING, STEEPLE-CHASING, AND 
 FOX-HUNTING. 
 
 BY CECIL, 
 
 AUTHOR OF " THE STUD FARM.' 
 
 LONDON: 
 LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS. 
 
 1852. 
 
London ; 
 
 Spottiswoodes and Shaw, 
 New-street-Square. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The object of this work is to point out the best 
 means to render the horse fit for "actual service" of 
 every kind. 
 
 The mysteries which formerly enshrouded the 
 stable have long been laid bare ; and we trust that we 
 shall here offer to the young aspirant for racing fame, 
 and the no less ardent admirer of the chase, such 
 hints as may assist both in the treatment of their 
 respective coursers. 
 
 Any person who is fond of horses, endowed with 
 moderate assiduity, observation, and judgment, may 
 direct the management of a few race-horses or steeple- 
 chasers, so as to find in it a source of vast amusement 
 and excitement without encountering the expense of 
 public training stables. 
 
 With respect to hunters, the majority of those who 
 delight in the chase generally superintend their own 
 stables. Those who keep stud grooms, have other 
 A 2 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 pursuits and pleasures. To the latter, I can scarcely 
 expect that many of these hints will be of great use ; 
 but to the former who are just entered in the field of 
 life I presume that they may ; and even to those who 
 have made some further progress in the run, in which 
 it is the ambition of all to excel, I flatter myself with 
 the hope of being able to add a few wrinkles, not such 
 as shall emanate from, but be a means of softening, 
 care. 
 
 In the " Stud Farm" — a companion volume — all 
 the subjects connected with a breeding establishment 
 and the management of horses up to, a certain point, 
 are fully discussed ; particularly those which treat on 
 Food, Physic, and Shoeing : hence I have not thought 
 it necessary to enter upon these topics further than 
 appeared indispensable to a clear understanding of the 
 work. 
 
 CECIL. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 STABLES. 
 
 Imperfection of Stables in general. — Habits of the Horse. — Import- 
 ance of adequate Stabling. — Aspect. — General Arrangement. — 
 Loose Boxes. — Security. — Social Disposition of Horses. — Uniform 
 Temperature. — Construction of Stables. — Arrangement of Doors. 
 — Interior of Loose Boxes. — Precaution against Crib-biting. — 
 Reference to the " Stud Farm." — Neatness. — Economy — Saddle- 
 room. — Hot or Drying-closet ... - Page 1 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 EXERCISE- GROUND. 
 
 Varieties of Soils. — Effects on Legs and Feet. — Elasticity of some. 
 Kinds of Turf. — Clay Land deprecated. — Dry Land recommended. 
 — Gravel objectionable. — Bond of Soil most suitabJfe. — Application 
 of Tan. — Newmarket. — Arrangements of the Jockey Club. — 
 Worm-casts. — Variety of Training-ground. — Affected by "Weather. 
 —The Warren Hill.— Cambridge Hill. — Other Gallops.— Epsom. 
 — Influence of Railways. — State of the Ground. — Leatherhead 
 and Mickleham Downs. — Interesting Scenery. — The Hednesford 
 Hills. — Cleeve Hill. — Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, and 
 Hampshire Downs. — Whitewall. — Noblemen and Gentlemen's 
 Parks. — Natural Formation, and the Effects. — Management of 
 
 Exercise-ground Ploughed Gallop. — Riding Race-horses with 
 
 Hounds. — Objection to Ploughed Gallops when dusty. — Extent 
 of Exercise-ground. — Fences for Steeple-chasers aud Hunters. 
 — Proximity of Training-ground to the Stables - - 7 
 
 A 3 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. HI. 
 
 THE DUTIES OF A TRAINER. 
 
 A responsible and arduous Undertaking.— Difficulties. — Vicissi- 
 tudes of fortune —Suspicion. — Indiscretion. — Opportunities of 
 Betting. — Comparative Position of Private and Public Trainers. — 
 Invidious Characters. — Calumny. — Trying Horses. — Motives of 
 Owners of Horses.— Abstract Duties —Economy.— True Definition 
 
 of Economy Charges for Training. — Argument thereon. — A 
 
 Trainer's Calculation. — Abatement when Provender is reasonable. 
 
 — Proposal of Agreement. — Combined Interests. — Partnerships. — 
 Conditions.— Objections.— Aggregate Number of Persons engaged 
 in training Horses. — List of Public Trainers - Page 16 
 
 CHAP. rv. 
 
 HEAD LADS AND STAELE-BOTS. 
 
 Employment of Head Lads. — The Title. — Avocation.— Necessary- 
 Qualities. — Temptations. — Tact. — Anecdote. — Discretion. — 
 Advantages of Light Weights. — Regularity. — Correction of Boys. 
 
 — Obedience. — Number of Boys required. — Selection of Boys. — 
 Terms of Engagement.— Fust Employments. — Horsemanship.— 
 Degrees of Superiority. — Anatomical Proportions. — Confidence. 
 
 — Instruction to Boys in the Art of Eiding. — Seat. — Management 
 of the Reins. — Error of inexperienced Riders. — The Power of 
 Horsemen accounted for.— Hands, and their Position. — Neglect 
 of teaching Boys properly. — Tricks played by Stable-boys.— 
 Mischief occasioned - - - - -24 
 
 CHAP V. 
 
 HUNTING- GROOMS AND HELPERS. 
 
 Comparative Duties of Trainers and Hunting- Grooms. Gradations. 
 
 Gentlemen Grooms. — Single-handed Grooms. — Occasional 
 
 Assistance. — Inexperienced Servants. — Anecdote of a Gentleman 
 Groom. — The Use of Drugs restricted. — A Veterinary Education 
 for Hunting- Grooms deprecated. — Helpers and their Duties. — 
 Covert Lads. — Second Horse Lads - - - 36 
 
CONTEXTS. Vll 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 BREAKING. 
 
 Effects of Education. — A Comparison. — Progressive Tuition of 
 Race-horses. — Young Hunters. — Reference to the " Stud Farm." 
 
 — Good Horsemen essential on young Horses. — Alarm to be 
 avoided with young Race-horses when at Exercise. — Pace 
 proportioned to the Advancement in Condition. — Importance 
 of a good Mouth. — Improvement of Action. — Effected by 
 appropriate Bridles judiciously handled. — One-sided Mouths. — 
 Disadvantages which ensue. — Remedies. — Teaching Horses to 
 leap. — May be done without Hounds. — Confidence necessary to 
 make good Fencers. — Falls to be avoided. — Leading over a Bar 
 or Fence. — Impropriety of Hurry or Confusion. — Riding at 
 Fences. — Horses ought not to be taken repeatedly over the same 
 Fence. — Accomplished Hunters from Stables of eminent Dealers. 
 — Distinct Characters of Riders to Hounds. — Difficulty in procur- 
 ing first-rate Hacks.— Reason why they are found in the Stables of 
 the Affluent. — Time requisite to cultivate Perfections. — Temper. — 
 Proper Age to endure "Work. — Ladies' Horses, and the Accomplish- 
 ments requisite in Hacks. — Shying. — Alternatives. — Objects 
 which Horses encounter in Towns. — Starting. — Young Horses 
 
 should be accustomed to various Objects. — Harness Horses 
 
 Breaking to Harness. — Putting Horses to Carnages. — A precau- 
 tionary Method, and its Advantages. — Reasons why some Horses 
 are refractory. — The Duties of an Assistant. — Carts deprecated. 
 — Vicious Horses. — Effects of mild Treatment illustrated. — On 
 Bridles. — Mouths. — Hands. — Severe Bits, Objections to. — 
 Snaffles. — Pelhams. — Curb Bits. — Nose-bands.— Choice of Bits. 
 
 — Bridles for pleasure Horses. — A Change recommended. — 
 Exercise Bridles - Page 43 
 
 CHAP. VH. 
 
 STABLE DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Comments. — System. — Importance of minor Observances. — Ap- 
 plicable alike in Racing and Hunting Stables. — Advantages of 
 Regularity. — Time of commencing Stable-work. — Routine Duties. 
 A4 
 
Vlll CONTENTS. 
 
 — Preparing for Exercise. — Going to Exercise. — Dressing 
 after Exercise. — Feeding. — Afternoon Performances. — Washing 
 Hunters. — Two Helpers employed. — Quietude - Page 68 
 
 CHAP. vin. 
 
 TRAINING AT TWO TEARS OLD. 
 
 Diversity of Opinions. — Events which determine the Propriety of 
 early Eacing. — Overgrown Stock. — Undersized Stock. — Effects of 
 early Eacing on overgrown Colts. — Distinction between the Work 
 necessary for present and future Engagements. — Large Horses 
 require much Time for Training. — Eeasons why small Horses are 
 capable of running at an earlier Age than large Ones. — Weedy 
 Stock. — Consequences of Procrastination. — Opinions formed from 
 extreme Cases. — Circumstances calculated to determine the Pro- 
 priety of running at Two Years old. — Action. — Change of Action. 
 
 — Causes thereof. — Action in some Cases restored by Eest. — 
 Management of a Candidate for a forthcoming Derby. — Moderate 
 Work recommended at Two Years old. — Paramount Object. — 
 Betting Adventures. — Comparison of Work between young and 
 old Horses and between Boys and Men. — Customs of Trainers. — 
 State of young Stock. — Their Nutrition, Growth, and Work con- 
 sidered. — Eeference to the " Stud Farm." — Time when Yearlings 
 should become Inmates of the Training Stables. — Gradual Pre- 
 paration. — Increase of Work. — Successful Treatment in certain 
 
 Stables. — Owners of Horses. — Patronage Two Years Old 
 
 Stakes - - - - - - -75 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 FIRST AND SECOND PREPARATIONS. 
 
 Physic. — Indications. — Cooling Lotions. — The Tendons. — The 
 Hocks. — Concussion. — Over- exertion, its Effects. — Eest. — 
 Diuretics. — Increase of Work. — Trainer's or Groom's Judgment. 
 
 — Objects to be gained. — Healthy State of the Blood. — Disorders 
 produced. — Faculties of Animals. — Increased Power of sustaining 
 Work. — Duration of daily Exercise. — First Preparation con- 
 nected with Breaking. — Period required. — Circumstances which 
 
CONTENTS. IX 
 
 denote the Necessity of Physic. — Distinction between First and 
 Second Preparations. — Sweating. — All Horses cannot bear the 
 same Quantity of Exercise. — Trials - - - Page 82 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 FINAL PREPARATION. 
 
 Work to be regulated by Circumstances. — Symptoms denoting the 
 requisite Quantity of Work. — When insufficient. — When pro- 
 perly apportioned. — When too severe. — Venial Error. — Com- 
 parison between old and young Horses. — Daily Exercise. — 
 Walking. — State of the Evacuations. — Irritability of the Bowels. 
 
 — Sometimes produced by Cold. — Remedy. — Cantering. — Po- 
 sition for the Trainer. — Examination after pulling up. — To be 
 brought Home cool, but not suffered to become chilled. — Time 
 when the strongest Work is recommended. — Sweats preferable to 
 rattling Gallops. — Notes of Preparation. — The final Gallop. — 
 Indications of Fitness to run. — Treatment on the Day prior to run- 
 ning. — Necessary Examinations. — The Muzzle. — Alternatives 
 with irritable Horses. — Examples. — Quietude of Stables desirable. 
 
 — Treatment on the Morning of running. — Leading out. — Treat- 
 ment on returning. — Exercise distinguished from Work. — Cir- 
 cumstances under which Exercise is proper. — Difference of Con- 
 stitution. ■ — Stout, muscular Horses. — Delicate Horses. — Eveiy 
 Horse has his Distance. — Hunters. — Exercise during the Hunting 
 Season. — Analogy between Hunters and Race-horses. — Steeple- 
 chase Horses - - - - •• -88 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 SWEATING. 
 
 General Knowledge of the Term. — Necessity for the Process. — 
 Distinction between fat and muscular Horses. — Fat and its Use 
 described. — Phenomenon of the Blood. — Congestion of the 
 Lungs. — Nourishment from Fat. — Parts where Fat is deposited. 
 
 — Importance of Fat. — Effects of severe Sweating. — Young 
 Horses deposit Fat more constantly than old Ones. — Importance 
 of maintaining the Condition of old Horses. — The muscular 
 System considered. — The Action of the Muscles. — Muscular 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Development. — Process of Sweating. — The proper Adaptation of 
 Clothing. — Material. — Distance. — Preparations. — Objection to 
 the Muzzle. — The Canter. —The Sweat. —Kind of Ground to be 
 selected. — Pace. — Idle Horses. — Caution against destroying the 
 Corn-age. — Kubbing-house or Place for Scraping. — Scraping 
 out of Doors. — Objection to Sweating in windy Weather. — 
 
 Observances at the Time of Scraping. — Scraping Gallop after 
 
 Sweating. — Routine of the Stable. — Expedition in Dressing. — 
 Danger from taking Cold. — Dry Hay preferable to Wet. — Tem- 
 perature of the Stable. — Breaking out. — Practice at Afternoon 
 Stable Time. — Causes of Horses breaking out. — Exercise on the 
 Day after Sweating. — Intervals between Sweats. — Varieties of 
 Constitutions. — Sweating Hunters - - Page 109 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Importance of Trials. — Causes of Mistakes. — Participation of 
 Trainers and Jockies. — Indifference respecting Trials. — Errors 
 of Judgment. — Comparison between Trials and public Races. — 
 Sceptical Opinions concerning Trials. — Touts. — Circumspection 
 necessary. — Trying Two Year Olds. — Preparation requisite. — 
 Placing Horses. — Qualifications. — Weights. — Reference to 
 Handicaps. — 'False Conclusions. — Speed of aged Horses. — Pace. 
 — Boys not eligible to ride Trial Horses. — Sagacity of old Horses. 
 — Contradictory Results. — Elat and hilly Courses. — Inference in 
 Work, but actual Trials necessary. — Case of Prejudice. — Caution 
 against Touts. — Trial Saddles. — Caution with Boys. — Place of 
 finishing Trial — Skill of Touts. — Indiscretion. — Anecdote - 122 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 
 
 Difficulty of training Horses with bad Legs and Feet. — Hunters. — 
 Causes, Remedies, and restorative Measures. — The back Sinews, 
 and Treatment of them. — Caution. — Injurious Effects of hard 
 Ground. — Alternative. — Comparison between Race-horses and 
 Hunters. — Remedy. — Rest sometimes imperative. — Treatment 
 after the Sinews have given way. — Recipe. — Sore Shins. — Relief. 
 
CONTENTS. Xi 
 
 — Cooling Applications, and Mode of applying them. — Arnaca. 
 — Keeping Horses at Work. — Stimulants. — Biniodide of Mer- 
 cury. — Injuries to which Hunters are liable. — Fomentations. — 
 Bandages. — Blows. — Thorns. — Poultices. — Stubs. — Cold 
 Water. — Over-reaches. — The Pastern Joints. — Synovia, its 
 Use. — The Hind Legs. — Cracked Heels. — Ointments. — Recipe 
 for cracked Heels. — Preventive Agency of Food and Exercise. — 
 Case in point. — Bruises of the Soles. — No Protection afforded to 
 the Soles of the Feet by Plates. — Fomenting the Feet. — Tar 
 Ointment. — Precaution. — Plating. — Texture of the Feet, and 
 Treatment. — Bad Feet. — Good Feet. — Consequences of Neglect. 
 — Observances after Removal of Shoes. — Caution to Smiths. 
 
 Page 133 
 
 CHAP. XIV. 
 
 The Importance of good Shoeing. — Perceptible Improvement in 
 the Art. — Navicular Lameness less frequent. — Causes. — Heavy 
 Shoes deprecated. — Effects of Horses slipping. — Casualties in the 
 Hunting Field from slipping. — Descriptions of Shoes calculated to 
 prevent Horses from slipping. — Shoes for the hind Feet. — Re- 
 marks on Shoes. — Corns. — Racing Plates. — Plating Steeple- 
 chasers. — Light Shoes recommended - - - 150 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 BANDAGES AND BOOTS. 
 
 Prejudice confuted. — Materials. — Dry Bandages. — Their Use and 
 Effects after washing the Legs. — Their Use and Effects sub- 
 sequently. — Benefits derived from Bandages. — Linen Bandages. 
 
 — Cold Water. — Cooling Lotion. — Mode of applying it. — Cold 
 Bandages for Exercise. — Recommended for Hunters. — Treat- 
 ment of the Legs of Hunters after severe Work. — Distinction be- 
 tween warm Woollen Bandages and cold Linen ones. — Proper 
 Method of adjusting Bandages. — Bandages or Boots for Exercise. 
 — Merits and Demerits of each compared. — India Rubber Boots. 
 
 — Objections to them. — A Case in point. — Best description of Boots 
 for Hunters - - - - - - 160 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 CLOTHING. 
 
 Display of Taste. — Colours. — Texture. — Shape. — Material for 
 Sweaters. — Stable Suits. — Precaution against Dampness. — 
 Rollers, and their Adjustment. — Tearing the Clothing. — Pre- 
 ventives. — Example. — Crib-biting. — Remedies. — An incor- 
 rigible Crib-biter - - - - - Page 169 
 
 CHAP. XVH. 
 
 PHYSIC 
 
 Importance of Physic Constitution to be consulted. — Circum- 
 stances which indicate the Propriety of giving Physic to Race- 
 horses. — Reference to Formula. — Circumstances which indicate 
 the Propriety of giving Physic to Hunters. — On Alteratives. — 
 Reference to the " Stud Farm " - - - 175 
 
 CHAP. XVIU. 
 
 TRAVELLING. 
 
 An Apostrophe Exorbitant Charges made to Owners of Race- 
 horses Comparison with other Classes of Travellers. — Extor- 
 tions counteracted by Railways. — Economy of Railway Travelling. 
 — Inconveniences of travelling by the Road. — The Time neces- 
 sarily occupied. — Touts disappointed. — Effects of Road Travelling 
 on the Legs and Feet. — Weather. — Cost per Diem of travelling 
 by the Road. — Sweating essential afterwards. — Precautions 
 
 against Alarm and Injury Horses to be walked a few Miles 
 
 after Railway Travelling. — Impertinent Curiosity defeated. — 
 Construction of Vans. — Expense of Posting. — Observances when 
 travelling on the Road. — Boys walking with their Horses. — 
 Objections thereto. — Road Travelling seldom imperative. — 
 Influence of Railways on Race Meetings - - - 179 
 
CONTENTS. Xlll 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 
 
 Clipping very generally practised. — Nimrod's approval Necessity 
 
 for artificial Remedies. — Inconvenience of a rough Coat. — 
 Trouble and Labour avoided. — Delicate Skins and fine Coats. — 
 Singeing preferable to Clipping. — Reasons- thereon — Horses can 
 be singed however long their Coats. — Practical Illustration. — 
 Gas versus Naphtha. — The apparatus to use Gas. — Nonsus- 
 ceptibility of Cold. — Evidence thereon. — Objections. — Phe- 
 nomenon of blind Horses. — Not accounted for, although attempted. 
 — Blind Horses formerly used in Stage Coaches. — Importance 
 of a fine Coat. — Health of the Skin promoted. — Objectionable 
 Nostrums. — The Skin can be most thoroughly cleansed when the 
 Coat is short - Page 185 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 Effects on the Constitution. — Events which influence those Effects. — 
 Caution. — Stimulus to Exertion. — Race Riding, a laborious Oc- 
 cupation, — Importance of Condition in a Jockey. — Recommended 
 to Hunting Men. — Severe abstinence from Food deprecated. — 
 Practical Experience of moderate Living and long Walks. — De- 
 privations of Jockies. — Hunger and Thirst. — Causes which affect 
 Hunger. — Causes which affect Thirst. — Selection of appropriate 
 Food and Drink. — Comparison between Wasting and Training. 
 
 — Preliminary Observances. — Aperient Medicines Excessive 
 
 Use of Epsom Salts. — Practical Anecdote. — Walking, and the 
 usual Observances. — Pace. — Perspiration promoted. — Remedy 
 for blistered Feet.— Walking on the Morning of a Race.— Amount 
 reduced. — Temptation. — Diet. — Beverage. — Smoking - 193 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 
 RACE RIDING. 
 
 Race Riding as a Profession for Gentlemen. — Difficulty of the Art. 
 
 — Incapability of young Jockies. — Attainment of Superiority. — 
 Comparison between good and inferior Jockies. — Integrity. — 
 Initiation. — Patience. — Pace. — Definition of the Term. — Examples. 
 
XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 — Peculiarity of Temper and Action. — Indications of Pace.— Start- 
 ing. — Precautions. — Starting when the Orders are to wait. — 
 Starting when the Orders are to make running. — Securing a good 
 Start. — Challenges in running. — Distinction between Jockies and 
 Boys respecting Orders. — Turning Courses. — A Rule of Racing. — 
 Example thereon. — Queries. — A fine Race. — A Stratagem. — 
 Disadvantage of making running. — The Rush. — Preparing to set 
 to, and finishing. — Whip and Spurs. — Praise and Censure. — Cir- 
 cumstances which denote the Propriety of making a waiting Race. 
 . —Of making Play - Page 205 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 HANDICAPPING, AND THE EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 
 
 Prevailing Taste. — Connection between Betting and Handicap 
 Races. — Policy of Handicaps. — Tendency to encourage Frauds. 
 
 — Protest of the Jockey Club. — Penalties for Frauds. — Useless 
 Punishment censured. — Qualifications of Handicappers. — Difficul- 
 ties connected with the Duty. — Reasons why the Public are led 
 into Error. — Pace. — Influence of Pace. — Light Weights. — Ar- 
 gument relative to Weights. — Mistaken Notions respecting 
 Weights. — Handicapping dark Horses. — Necessity for a System 
 of Handicapping. — Handicappers should see Horses run. — 
 Stratagems detected. — Extra Weights for Frauds.— The Principle 
 denounced by Offenders. — Their Arguments confuted. — Im- 
 possibility of Handicapping from Paper. — Handicap Committee. 
 
 — Illicit Practices defeated by System. — Paid Handicappers. — 
 Horses started at Country Meetings for certain Purposes. — 
 Advantages of a Committee. — Firmness indispensable in a Handi- 
 capper. — An Occurrence. — Responsibility of Stewards and Com- 
 mittees. — Distinction between Handicappers, Starters, and Judges 
 of Races. — Restrictive Powers. — Owners of Horses and Trainers 
 complete the Handicaps - - - - 218 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 Commencement of Racing. — Progress of Racing. — Introduction of 
 Betting. — Book-making. — Importance of Betting to Racing. — 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 .A Delusion. — -"Way in which'Betting is prejudicial to the Turf. — 
 Analysis of Betting. — Popularity of Racing. — Effects of popu- 
 lous Meetings. — Present Condition of Pacing. — A Glance at 
 the Rules of Racing. — Racing as an Amusement for the People. 
 — Not suitable as a Speculation for the Million. — Effects of 
 Handicaps on the Breed of Horses. — Their Effects on Racing — 
 Comparison of the Condition of Hunters and Race-horses. — 
 Condition promoted by suitable Eood. — Necessity of pure Air and 
 Exercise. — Large Enclosures not conducive to Exercise. — Com- 
 parison. — Evils of large Pasture-fields. — Reasons why half-bred 
 Stock is, in general, longer in coming to Maturity than thorough- 
 bred.— Argument. — Conclusion - Page 230 
 
STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 STABLES. 
 
 Imperfection of Stables iu general. — Habits of the Horse Import- 
 ance of adequate Stabling. — Aspect. — General Arrangement. — 
 Loose Boxes.— Security.— Social Disposition of Horses.— Uniform 
 Temperature. — Construction of Stables, — Arrangement of Doors. 
 
 — Interior of Loose Boxes. — Precaution against Crib-biting. 
 
 Beference to the " Stud Farm." — Neatness. — Economy. Saddle- 
 room. — Hot or Drying-closet. 
 
 So much has already been written upon Stables, 
 and so many improvements have been made in 
 the construction of these edifices, that it may be 
 doubted whether I can offer anything worthy of 
 notice on this head ; but I am bold enough to 
 affirm there are very few stables that are really 
 conveniently constructed for race-horses and hunters. 
 Architects are seldom aufait of stable management, 
 and those who are conversant with the latter have 
 rarely the skill or the knowledge to make designs 
 for buildings. 
 
2 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 By viewing the habits of the horse in a state of 
 nature, we might be led to the conclusion that, when 
 domesticated, he would require no buildings of any- 
 kind for his accommodation : experience, however, 
 teaches us that he must be sheltered from the vicissi- 
 tudes of this climate, and, above all, that the stables 
 which he inhabits imperatively require the most scru- 
 pulous nicety of arrangement, if the utmost amount 
 of his powers is to be made subservient to our use. 
 
 The aspect of the stable forms the first subject 
 for consideration. It should invariably face the 
 south or west. It may be inquired, if the principal 
 stables are to occupy that position, how the other 
 parts of the yard can be arranged without a con- 
 siderable waste of ground. The northern and eastern 
 aspects may be appropriated to the back of the 
 dwelling-house, which will thus face the south ; out- 
 offices, saddle-rooms, coach-houses, and such like 
 edifices of minor importance will face the east. 
 
 General opinion is decidedly in favour of loose 
 boxes, to which, indeed, there can scarcely be a 
 dissentient voice. The space which they afford 
 enables the occupants to enjoy their ease and repose 
 much more perfectly than when they are confined 
 in stalls- The increased security when the doors 
 are closed is another great recommendation in favour 
 of loose boxes ; for, although bails may be, and 
 generally are, fitted from the walls. to the stall-posts, 
 they do not exclude the chance which a vicious or 
 restless horse may have of injuring or annoying his 
 neighbours in the event of his getting loose. 
 
STABLES. 3 
 
 The social disposition manifested by many horses 
 is such as to render them dissatisfied when shut 
 up in boxes which do not communicate with ad- 
 joining ones ; on the other hand, some horses are 
 restless if not entirely secluded from their species. 
 An extensive range of boxes communicating with 
 each other, as they are usually built, is objectionable 
 when they are not all occupied, because in that case 
 it is difficult, in fact impossible, satisfactorily to 
 regulate the temperature. These objections may be 
 readily obviated in a very simple, economical, and 
 effective manner. Let each box be boarded to the 
 height of five feet and a half, and from thence to the 
 ceiling divided by iron bars. By having shutters to 
 fit from the top of the boarding to the ceiling, each 
 box may be rendered distinct from the adjoining 
 one, or open, as circumstances may require. Thus, 
 whether the building consists of only two boxes or 
 twenty, any number may be thrown open or closed, 
 as most convenient. Where there is a range of 
 boxes, it is desirable to have doors internally com- 
 municating from one to the other, so that a pussage 
 can be obtained, without opening the external doors, 
 in cold and windy weather. The arrangement 
 which appears superior to all others, for doors to 
 loose boxes, is that of having one spacious entrance 
 door to serve two boxes, the centre of which is 
 midway or parallel with the partition of the boxes : 
 an interior door also to each box, one opening on 
 the right, the other on the left hand. The advan- 
 tages of this plan are twofold, — a communication is 
 b 2 
 
4 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 effected from one box to another without opening 
 the outer door; and on all occasions, except when 
 the horses are passing in or out, the outer door 
 can be closed, if desirable, before the inner door to 
 either box is opened. 
 
 To render the interior complete, the boxes should 
 be boarded all round, to the height of five feet and a 
 half, with strong yellow deal or oak, one inch thick. 
 The latter material is, doubtless, to be preferred, on 
 account of its strength. If the former is made use of, 
 hoop iron in strips will be required to prevent horses 
 from biting it. Ever prone to' mischief, unless such 
 a precaution is taken, they will not only destroy the 
 wood, but they will contract bad habits. In fact, 
 all wood-work which they can take hold of with their 
 teeth should be secured with iron, the expense of 
 which is trifling. 
 
 Having, in the." Stud Farm," treated on the sub- 
 jects of roofing, ventilation, paving, fittings, and the 
 materials calculated for stabling, it is unnecessary to 
 repeat them here, as similar arrangements and pre- 
 cautions are applicable for stables occupied by horses 
 in training and hunters. It may be deemed neces- 
 sary to finish them more elaborately, but that is 
 quite a matter of taste. The inmates will derive no 
 benefit from the ornamental decorations of the 
 buildings they inhabit ; and though elegance of de- 
 sign is pleasing to the eye, and on that account com- 
 mendable, it ceases to be so if introduced at the 
 expense of more urgent conveniences. Well-con- 
 structed stables may be erected at a comparatively 
 
STABLES. 
 
 trifling cost", provided the plans are well drawn. 
 Neatness and appropriateness are more in keeping 
 than the ostentatious display of architectural embel- 
 lishments. The economy of labour is also an item 
 worthy of attention. A never-failing supply of 
 water is indispensable ; and, unless the receptacles 
 for hay and straw are conveniently placed, the ser- 
 vants' time will be unnecessarily employed in sweep- 
 ing away the fragments, in order to preserve that 
 cleanliness and neatness which are essential to the 
 appearance of a well-conducted establishment. 
 
 As a necessary addendum to the stable, the saddle- 
 room must not be omitted, the judicious arrangement 
 of which will considerably diminish labour, and be 
 the means of preserving those articles for which it is 
 especially constructed. 
 
 On first entering a stable-yard, nothing proclaims 
 more accurately the manner in which the establish- 
 ment is conducted than the appearance of the saddle- 
 room. Well furnished with nicely arranged appoint- 
 ments made by skilful workmen, a neatly kept saddle- 
 room presents an agreeable show ; but, on the other 
 hand, if the various articles are lying about in con- 
 fusion, imperfectly cleaned, and left to be finished 
 off when wanted, the apartment suggests ideas of 
 chaotic irregularity, which, in all probability, will be 
 found to prevail throughout the establishment. 
 
 Among the fittings of a saddle-room, a hot closet 
 for the purpose of drying clothing is a convenience 
 of inestimable value ; and, as it can by proper arrange- 
 ment in the first instance be constructed at a trifling 
 b 3 
 
6 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 expense, and kept in operation by the heat of the 
 ordinary fire, every person who consults economy 
 of labour will assuredly provide for this accommo- 
 dation. 
 
 In hunting stables, a loose box or enclosed shed 
 is almost indispensable for washing the legs and 
 dressing horses after their return from the chase. 
 Where the practice is adopted of washing horses all 
 over, an accommodation of the kind must be pro- 
 vided, as it is out of the question to perform such an 
 operation in the box or stall wherein the inmate 
 remains for the night ; and, under any circumstances, 
 such an arrangement is conducive to the order and 
 regular temperature of the apartment in which the 
 weaned creature takes his repose. 
 
CHAP. II. 
 
 EXERCISE-GROUND. 
 
 Effects of Soils on Legs and Feet. — Elasticity of some Kinds 
 of Turf. — Clay Land deprecated. — Diy Land recommended. — 
 Gravel objectionable. — Kind of Soil most suitable. — Application 
 of Tan. — Newmarket. — Arrangements of the Jockey Club. — 
 "Worm-casts. — Variety of Training-ground. — Affected by Weather. 
 ■ — The Warren Hill. — Cambridge Hill. — Other Gallops. — Epsom. 
 
 — Influence of Railways State of the Ground. — Leatherhead 
 
 and Mickleham Downs. — Interesting Scenery. — The Hednesford 
 Hills. — Cleeve Hill. — Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, and 
 Hampshire Downs. — Whitewall. — Noblemen and Gentlemen's 
 Parks. — Natural Formation and the Effects. — Management of 
 Exercise- ground. — Ploughed Gallop. — Riding Race-horses with 
 Hounds. — Objection to Ploughed Gallops when dusty. — Tanned 
 Gallop. — Extent of Exercise- ground. — Fences for Steeple-chasers 
 and Hunters. — Proximity of Training-ground to the Stables. 
 
 The effect produced on the legs and feet of horses 
 by the land on which they are worked is so great, 
 that it is of vital importance to select that which is 
 best adapted to the purpose. In some situations the 
 elasticity of the turf is so perfect, that the prints of 
 horses' feet are scarcely visible, although they may 
 be ridden over it at their best pace, and this without 
 the ground being hard. Where clay prevails, in dry 
 weather it will assume the rugged and unyielding 
 properties of rock, and rain will render it deep, tena- 
 cious, and holding, occasioning much undue fatigue 
 b 4 
 
8 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 to the animals compelled to gallop over it. For the 
 purpose of training race-horses it is quite inappo- 
 site ; and for exercising hunters it should be avoided. 
 A dry surface is found to be mosi suitable to the 
 thoroughbred horse, during every stage of his exist- 
 ence. Those situations where gravel predominates 
 should not be chosen, because of its solid qualities, 
 and the concussion which it occasions. The eligible 
 kinds of land for this purpose are extensive tracts of 
 light loams, approximating to sand, with a substratum 
 of chalk ; sandy peats, if the surface be good enough 
 to bear a sound turf, and the bed sufficiently ab- 
 sorbent to take up the wet. If the land be too poor 
 and sandy, it will work in holes, and produce in- 
 equalities, but maybe improved by care, and judicious 
 application of manure; for which tan is to be pre- 
 ferred to any ether material. It must, however, be 
 laid on with discretion, in thin coats, and renewed 
 as the grass gnows through it, by which means, aided 
 by the use of the roller, and abstaining from gallop- 
 ing thereon until a fine texture of sward is established, 
 good ground for training upon may be cultivated. 
 
 The ground devoted to the purpose of exercise at 
 Newmarket is naturally good, except in very dry 
 weather, when it becomes somewhat hard. That 
 may be in a degree accounted for by the number of 
 horses trained thereon ; but the Stewards of the 
 Jockey Club, having discretionary power as to the 
 management, restrict persons from taking their 
 horses on those parts which have been much trodden 
 or cut up ; so that, by giving it rest, a new coat of 
 
EXEECISE-GEOUND. V 
 
 verdure springs up. One of the advantages to be 
 derived from training at Newmarket consists in the 
 variety of ground available for that purpose; more 
 so, perhaps, than from the quality of the soil itself. 
 It is, however, found in excellent order during mo- 
 derately moist seasons, such as usually prevail in 
 spring and autumn. When requisite, there is the 
 Warren hill, which affords a gallop of nearly two 
 miles : and, taken in certain directions, it is a very 
 severe one, sufficient to bring the respiratory organs 
 into action to the fullest extent; indeed, meta- 
 phorically speaking, it is enough to break a horse's 
 heart if injudiciously made use of. The Cambridge 
 hill, on the London side of the town, is less severe, 
 and to be preferred, especially for the juveniles or 
 horses of delicate constitutions, besides being well 
 fitted to make the conclusion of any distance of 
 ground that ' may be deemed expedient to gallop 
 over. 
 
 Epsom Downs were once much resorted to by 
 owners of race-horses, owing to their proximity to 
 the metropolis. The Leatherhead Downs are, in my 
 opinion, preferable to any in this neighbourhood, so 
 far as the nature of the soil is considered ; the only 
 objection to them is the want of extent, which occa- 
 sions a good deal of turning to obtain a gallop of 
 sufficient length. The Mickleham Downs, which 
 are close at hand, are also very good. It is scarcely 
 possible to conceive a more animating scene than 
 that which is here presented a few mornings prior to 
 the Derby day. The favourites are generally to be 
 
10 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 seen taking their last gallop, prior to the eventful 
 contest, and many of the owners and others interested 
 in the race are here congregated, watching with in- 
 tense anxiety the stride of every candidate for the 
 blue ribbon of the turf. The scenery around is pic- 
 turesque and enchanting, and on a fine May morning 
 nothing can be more delightful. 
 
 The Hednesford Hills, in Staffordshire, are much 
 resorted to by the owners of horses connected with 
 the midland counties ; but they are not good unless 
 it be in the spring. When dry weather commences 
 they become insufferably hard-, the substratum being 
 a dense body of gravel. Several dressings of tan 
 would improve the surface, and, as there is an excel- 
 lent variety of hill and undulating ground all around 
 it, those remedies would be found well worth at- 
 tention. 
 
 Cleeve Hill, on which Cheltenham races were 
 wont to rejoice, presents a verdure well calculated for 
 training. It is close to the pleasant little village of 
 Prestbury, where the well-known Tom Olliver 
 resides, and combines the training of race-horses and 
 steeple-chasers. 
 
 There is a splendid tract of down land in Berk- 
 shire, extending from Ilsley and Lambourne to the 
 vicinity of Marlborough and Beckhampton, in Wilt- 
 shire. That on which Jones of Rockley train3 is 
 superlatively good. Beyond this, at Pimperne, in 
 Dorsetshire, where Percy resides, the exercise-ground 
 is capital. 
 
 In Hampshire, at Littleton, William Dilly, one of 
 
EXERCISE-GROUND. 11 
 
 the most respectable men in his vocation, occupies 
 some downs of superior quality. The far-famed 
 Danebury establishment is in the same county. The 
 money and judgment expended by the late Lord 
 George Bentinck have rendered John Day's exercise- 
 ground second to none. The application of tan has 
 in this case been adopted with the most beneficial 
 results. 
 
 Never having been there, I can only notice the 
 training-ground at Whitewall, occupied by John 
 Scott, from report ; the appearance of his horses at 
 the post sufficiently indicates that everything con- 
 nected with the establishment is the best of its kind. 
 
 There is a vast number of noblemen and gentle- 
 men's parks in various parts of the kingdom admi- 
 rably adapted to the purpose of training horses, 
 but, with the exception of their hunters, very few are 
 trained at home. 
 
 The formation of exercise-ground is a point of im- 
 portance. To be thoroughly perfect it should have a 
 hill or an ascent, so that it may be used at the con- 
 clusion of the gallop, and that for a distance of nearly, 
 if not quite, half a mile. When attainable it is very 
 desirable that the ground should possess an undulating 
 form ; this may frequently be acquired by the direc- 
 tion in which the gallop is marked out. It is very 
 important that every muscle of the horse in training 
 should be brought into action, to do which a variety 
 of ground is necessary. Another reason, likewise, 
 may be given for this recommendation : — as the form 
 of race-courses varies, it is requisite that every horse 
 
12 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 should be so trained in his exercise as to accommo- 
 date himself to those variations : if only accustomed 
 to take his exercise on the flat he would be much 
 inconvenienced when required to face a hill; or, if 
 invariably trained against a hill, he would be unable 
 to adapt himself to that length of stride essential to 
 success on a flat course. While it may be truly 
 remarked that some animals show their superiority 
 on flat courses and others on hilly ones, yet it is 
 highly necessary that the ground on which they are 
 worked should vary. 
 
 Some care is necessary with the soundest and 
 strongest turf to keep it in good order, especially in 
 wet weather, and with a number of horses daily 
 galloping over it. To avoid as much as possible 
 working in the same tracks will further this end very 
 materially, and the use of the roller at proper seasons 
 will press in the foot-marks ; but the less that imple- 
 ment is resorted to the better after the aforesaid 
 operation is accomplished, as on most soils it has the 
 effect of rendering them too solid. 
 
 Very few soils are of so excellent a quality as not 
 to become hard in dry weather. To meet this diffi- 
 culty, ploughed gallops have in many instances been 
 provided with success to a certain extent. Years 
 ago a trainer would have gone into hysterics, at the 
 bare suggestion of giving a horse in training a single 
 
 Do o o o © 
 
 gallop on ploughed ground, but experience usually 
 overcomes prejudice, at least when the experiment 
 proves successful. I well remember, in my younger 
 days, informing my trainer that I intended to ride 
 
EXERCISE-GROUND. 13 
 
 with the hounds a five-year old horse I then had, 
 which had been in training and was intended to run 
 the ensuing summer. He said all he could to per- 
 suade me not to do so, remarking that, independently 
 of accidents, it would render him slow and worth- 
 less ; but I disregarded his admonitions, and the fol- 
 lowing season he ran much better than he had done 
 previously, although trained at home. When I rode 
 him with hounds I always had a second horse out, 
 and I am convinced many race -horses are better, 
 when so treated during the winter, than by being 
 only ridden at exercise by boys. 
 
 In dry weather, and that is the time when they 
 are generally in requisition, ploughed gallops are apt 
 to be very dusty ; which I consider the greatest 
 objection to them. This does not affect the horse 
 that is leading, but those which follow suffer from 
 the dust he throws in their faces, and portions being 
 inhaled must affect the delicate membranes of the 
 respiratory organs. To obviate this evil as much as 
 possible, not more than three or four horses should 
 be allowed to gallop in company ; and those which 
 follow, to use a sailor's term, should "lie to windward" 
 of those which go in front respectively, on every 
 available opportunity, and also keep wide apart; 
 directions which the boys will not fail to attend to 
 for their own convenience. This will not, however, 
 be a means of avoiding the dust when the wind is 
 directly in the horses' teeth, or if blowing hard when 
 ] point blank on their quarters ; for, although horses 
 I have been described as possessing "speed to outstrip 
 
14 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the wind," there are times when they find it difficult 
 to "outstrip the dust." Another alternative, when 
 the ordinary galloping-ground is too hard, is to 
 cover a certain space with tan. This has an advan- 
 tage over ploughed land, as it does not give forth so I 
 much dust. It is, however, rather a costly addendum 
 but this scarcely appears to be an impediment where j 
 horses of great value are trained. 
 
 A tract of land where space can be commanded 
 to obtain a gallop of two miles, without a perceptible 
 turn, is a great desideratum: yet horses should be 
 occasionally accustomed to turn; otherwise, when they 
 are brought out to race, they will frequently ex- 
 perience much inconvenience from want of practice, 
 especially on such a course as that at Chester, and 
 many others on which country meetings are held. 
 A small confined exercise-ground, scarcely a mile in 
 circuit, may do to train steeple-chasers or work 
 hunters upon, but is not calculated for race-horses ; 
 constantly on the turn, they are no sooner in their 
 stirde but it must be shortened to enable them to 
 get round the turns, to say nothing of the injury they 
 are every moment liable to inflict upon themselves 
 by hitting their legs. 
 
 Where steeple-chase horses are trained, or even 
 where hunters are worked, it is desirable to have 
 some temporary fences erected on the ground for 
 practice. Well-disposed and good-humoured as 
 farmers are, taking them as a body, very few are 
 willing to have their land and fences ridden over by 
 horses at exercise. The fences require to be as much 
 
EXERCISE-GROUND. 15 
 
 varied as possible, and, without presenting formidable 
 and dangerous barriers, should be sufficiently strong 
 to prevent horses running through them, or knock- 
 ing them down. 
 
 Many persons are of opinion that the exercise- 
 ground should be at some distance from the stables, 
 contending that, if the horses have two or three miles 
 to walk to it, their work cannot be commenced too 
 soon on leaving their stables. I cannot subscribe to 
 this opinion. Unless the training-ground is near at 
 hand, there are many days on which the horses will 
 not be able to go out at all, or, if they do, they will 
 get wet before they return. If a man has not 
 sufficient resolution and self-command to keep his 
 horses at walking exercise a proper length of time, 
 without something more than discretion to compel 
 him, he is not fit to have the superintendence of 
 a stud. 
 
16 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 THE DUTIES OF A TRAINER. 
 
 A responsible and arduous Undertaking. — Difficulties. — Vicissi- 
 tudes of Fortune. • — Suspicion. — Indiscretion. — Opportunities of 
 Betting. — Comparative Position of Private and Public Trainers. — 
 Invidious Characters. — Calumny. — Trying Horses. — Motives of 
 Owner of Horses. — Abstract Duties. — Economy. — True Definition 
 of Economy. — Charges for Training. — Argument thereon. — A 
 Trainer's Calculation. — Abatement when Provender is reasonable. 
 Proposal of Agreement. — Combined Interests. — Partnerships. — 
 Conditions. — Objections. — Aggregate Number of Persons engaged 
 in training Horses. — List of Public Trainers. • 
 
 The duties of a trainer are amongst the most difficult 
 to fulfil with satisfaction. No ordinary vigour of 
 mind is necessary to enable him at once to direct effec- 
 tually the details of his calling, so that each animal 
 may be brought to the post in the best possible con- 
 dition, and to withstand the fearful temptations with 
 which he may be at times assailed. It is not only 
 necessary that he should be an adept in the art of 
 training, but he must also be conversant with the 
 arts of men, that he may be able to detect their 
 treacherous schemes, and, by detecting, avoid them. 
 Vigour of body is also necessary, that he may be able 
 to discharge his duties, which are at times fatiguing, 
 enhanced by the excitement which awaits the result 
 of every race. The current of prosperity will fre- 
 
THE DUTIES OF A TRAINER. 17 
 
 quently carry men of weak minds into a Charybdis 
 of trouble ; more so than disappointment, which may 
 be overcome by assiduity. In racing affairs, the 
 vicissitudes of fortune are very frequent, and often 
 very extensive. Most trainers bet ; .and he who was 
 worth but little at the time of breaking his fast in 
 the morning, should he be successful in winning a 
 stake upon which his investments are extensive, may 
 be entitled to thousands ere he partakes of his dinner. 
 In the long run, I believe such speculations are not 
 profitable. A trainer has, of all other persons, the 
 best opportunity, when he finds a horse worthy of 
 an investment, of backing him at long odds, and 
 then, when the animal becomes a favourite, of hedg- 
 ing his money. Into how many temptations does 
 this lead him ? In the first place, he must use every 
 endeavour to enhance the merits of the horse ; in 
 the second, no person but himself knows how much 
 hedging money he sends into the market, or, in 
 plain English, if he is not tempted to stand heavily 
 against his charge. 
 
 ft o 
 
 Of the two, the duties of a private trainer are light 
 and easy compared with those who train for the 
 public. The former has simply the interests of his 
 master to consult ; but the latter, who has numerous 
 employers to please, sometimes finds it a difficult, 
 indeed a very arduous task, to steer clear of the 
 perplexities which beset him. It is too true that all 
 men have enemies, and those are the most dangerous 
 who ingratiate themselves under the mask of friend- 
 
18 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 ship. There is a class of men connected with the 
 betting community, who will stop at nothing to ac- 
 complish their purposes. It is not reasonable to 
 imagine, that an individual who will risk his own 
 character, will be very scrupulous about the reputa- 
 tion of others. Such men, if they cannot insinuate 
 themselves under the cloak of miscalled confidence, 
 will not hesitate to circulate calumniating and false 
 reports. They are the most dangerous persons a 
 trainer can associate with. 
 
 A public trainer, having various horses under his 
 care, the respective property of different persons, is 
 not unfrequently supposed to have availed himself of 
 the information which he has the power of obtaining, 
 by trying the horses of his employers, or, at all 
 events, if not by trying them together, of obtaining 
 a measure by indirect means. In fact, some persons 
 send their horses to public trainers, under the im- 
 pression that they shall have the qualifications of 
 their horses scrupulously tested by this means. 
 Others there are who revolt at the idea of such a 
 proceeding. That such trials never ought to be ! 
 permitted without the express sanction of the re- 
 spective owners, there can be no doubt. It is no 
 doubt a trainer's duty to prepare every horse that 
 may be placed under his care to the best of his abi- 
 lity, but it is not a part of his duty to try horses be- 
 longing to different employers for his own especial 
 advantage, or for the advantage of an individual 
 employer. 
 
THE DUTIES OF A TRAINER. 19 
 
 • Most persons, whether they be owners of race- 
 horses or not, are desirous of practising economy; 
 but they frequently attempt it upon erroneous prin- 
 ciples. If the term be rightly defined in such cases, 
 it should signify the method of regulating expendi- 
 ture under circumstances the most likely to produce 
 profitable results ; it is not the mere saving of monev 
 that will on all occasions lead to a favourable termi- 
 nation, without the judicious calculation of contin- 
 gencies. With a view of having their stables filled, 
 trainers will, in some instances, engage to take a lot 
 of horses at a price below the usual rate ; but it is 
 very doubtful whether the owner of those horses 
 consults his own interest by entering into such an 
 arrangement. The charge is generally from thirty- 
 six shillings to two guineas per week, for the keep of 
 each horse and boy ; shoeing, medicine, and travelling 
 expenses not included. This may appear to yield a 
 considerable profit, especially when hay, corn, and 
 provisions are at a low price (and so, unquestionably, 
 it does) ; yet there are a few little items which 
 deserve notice. — In the first place, the hay and corn 
 must be of the very best quality, if the animals which 
 partake of it are to be brought out in a state fit to 
 run. The rental of appropriate stabling is another 
 consideration ; to which must be added the keep of 
 the boy : and lastly, an experienced trainer is entitled 
 to a compensation for his skill, over and above the 
 profit he may make upon his hay and corn. The 
 management of race-horses is a trust of considerable 
 
 c 2 
 
20 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 magnitude, and when conducted with integrity merits 
 reward. When a man undertakes to train horses at 
 a reduced price, he calculates upon making up the 
 deficiency in some other way. He argues with 
 himself that the charge per week ought to be two 
 guineas ; but having agreed to take 305., he considers 
 how the difference can be balanced: thus inferior 
 provender is provided, or a system of betting put 
 into operation. The difference between two guineas 
 and 305. per week, for each horse, amounts to 211. 6s. 
 in the year; therefore, if one. horse wins only one 
 extra stake of 50/., he pays the difference for himself 
 and nearly that of a companion. Some abatement 
 may probably be expected, and very reasonably so, 
 in conformity with the times ; and if I were about 
 to enter into an arrangement with a public trainer 
 to take charge of a lot of horses, my conditions would 
 be somewhat in this fashion. Charge me a fair, but 
 not an exorbitant, price for each of my horses, and 
 let them have the best of every thing they require ; 
 but you must undertake not to bet upon any event 
 whatever in which they may be engaged. When we 
 have good reasons for backing any, I will get the 
 money on for you, and I will give you five per cent, 
 upon the amount of every stake I win. Such an 
 arrangement would give the trainer a pecuniary in- 
 terest over and above that of the reputation which 
 he gains by bringing the horses entrusted to his care 
 well to the post. It may be said, that if so disposed, 
 he can bet without his employers' knowledge : per- 
 
THE DUTIES OF A TRAINER. 21 
 
 haps he can, and it is not impossible he may be found 
 out. But a man who is not worthy of confidence 
 for the fulfilment of a specific contract, is not worthy 
 of trust under any circumstances; and there is no 
 occupation in which a greater share of confidence 
 must of necessity be reposed than the one now under 
 consideration. 
 
 It is not a very unusual custom to enter into a 
 sort of partnership with a trainer, especially with 
 persons who have but one or two horses. This is 
 generally done in order to avoid any charge for keep 
 and training, and also to give the trainer a positive 
 interest in the horse's success. The terms are neces- 
 sarily regulated by the merits or supposed merits of 
 the animal. Take a promising untried two year old 
 as an example : the trainer would in all probability 
 require an actual half share in the colt, charge 
 nothing for keep, pay half the stakes, a similar 
 portion of jockey's fees, travelling and such like 
 expenses, and be entitled to receive half the stakes. 
 These arrangements are open to some objections, in- 
 asmuch as the original owner parts with half his 
 property without any positive recompense, and un- 
 questionably resigns all control over his horse. 
 That such terms have been satisfactory in many in- 
 stances I will not pretend to deny ; at the same time, 
 people must have very great reliance on each other 
 to enter into such compacts. 
 
 In "Bell's Life" of recent date there are nearly 
 ninety trainers enumerated, about a third of whom 
 c 3 
 
22 
 
 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 are privately engaged : it is unnecessary, therefore, to 
 mention them ; but as the services of public trainers 
 may be required by some of my readers, a list of 
 these is subjoined, and a few added whose names do 
 not appear in the above-named authority. 
 
 PUBLIC TRAINERS. 
 
 Arnull, "William. 
 Bell, Heniy. 
 Boyce, Richard. 
 Cooper, Richard. 
 Daley, John. 
 
 At Newmarket. 
 
 Edwards, William. 
 Goodwin, William. 
 Perren, John. ' 
 Pettit, Robert, jun. 
 
 In the Country. 
 
 Rayner, Charles. 
 Rogers, Joseph. 
 Smith, William. 
 Stephenson, — , s 
 
 Armstrong, James, Malton. 
 
 Balchin, W. and C, Sutton, 
 Surrey. 
 
 Clark, James, Newton. 
 
 Cunningham, T., Highfield, Mal- 
 ton. 
 
 Dallimore, J., Westbury, Wilts. 
 
 Day, J. B. and Son, Danebury, 
 Stockbridge. 
 
 Day, W., Woodyates, Salisbury. 
 
 Dawson, T., Middleham. 
 
 Dawson, J., Middleham. 
 
 Death, J., Ascot. 
 
 Dickens, S., Northampton. 
 
 Dilly, W., Littleton, Winchester. 
 
 Dockery, George, Epsom. 
 
 Eowler, W., Aintree, Liverpool. 
 
 Elintoff, T., Hednesford, Cannock. 
 
 Eryer, M., Haxby, York. 
 
 Gill, John, Richmond, Yorkshire. 
 
 Halliwell, J., Mayday Cottage, 
 Gullane. 
 
 Hesseltine, Robert, Hambleton. 
 
 Hopwood, J., Holcombe Hill, 
 Bury, Lancashire. 
 
 Hornsby, Charles, Barham, Can- 
 terbury. 
 
 I'Anson, W., Malton. 
 
 Jones, E., Rockley, Marlborough. 
 
 King, Young, Stockbridge. 
 
 Lord, S., Hednesford, Cannock. 
 
 Marson, J., Beverley. 
 
 Martin, R., Delamere Eorest, 
 Cheshire. 
 
 Nelson, R., Thicklands, Hudders- 
 field. 
 
 Noble, George, Beverley. 
 
 Oates, George, Middleham. 
 
 Olliver, Thomas, Prestbury, Chel- 
 tenham. 
 
 
PUBLIC TRAINERS. 
 
 92 
 
 Oseland, R., Richards Castle; 
 Ludlow. 
 
 Osborne, J., Middleham. 
 
 Parlby, J., Berry Hill. 
 
 Peck, Charles, Malton. 
 
 Percy, H., Pimperne, Blandford. 
 
 Peace, J., Delamere Forest, Tar- 
 porley. 
 
 Price, T., Cheddington, Ayles- 
 buiy. 
 
 Rutherford, W., Bogside, Ayr- 
 shire. 
 
 Saddler, Wm, Houghton Down, 
 Stockbridge. 
 
 Saunders, William, Hednesford, 
 Cannock. 
 
 Scott, John, Whitewall, Malton. 
 
 Scott, William, Prestbury, Chel- 
 tenham. 
 
 Shepherd, J., Malton. 
 
 Thompson, W., Middleham. 
 
 Thorp, C. L., Bennethorpe, Don- 
 caster. 
 
 Turner, Thomas, Chester. 
 
 Wadlow, Henry, Stanton, Shif- 
 nal. 
 
 Wilkins, J., Aintree, Liverpool. 
 
 Winteringham, J. and C., Rich- 
 mond, Yorkshire. 
 
 Woolcot, Isaac, Stockbridge. 
 
 Wycherley, H., Epsom. 
 
 c 4 
 
24 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 
 
 
 Employment of Head Lads. — The Title. — Avocation. — Necessary- 
 Qualities. — Temptations. — Tact. — Anecdote. — Discretion. — 
 Advantages of Light Weights. — Regularity. — Correction of Boys. 
 
 — Obedience. — Number of Boys required. — Selection of Boys. — 
 Terms of Engagement. — First Employments. — Horsemanship. — 
 Degrees of Superiority. — Anatomical Proportions. — Confidence. 
 
 — Instruction to Boys in the Art of Riding. — Seat. — Management 
 of the Reins. — Error of inexperienced Riders. — The Power of 
 Horsemen accounted for. — Hands, and their Position. — Neglect 
 of teaching Boys properly. — Tricks played, by Stable-boys. — 
 Mischief occasioned. 
 
 It is scarcely possible to conduct the management 
 even of a small training establishment, whether 
 private or public, without the assistance of a head 
 lad, who is generally promoted from the ranks of 
 stable-boys. Somewhat akin to the post-boys of the 
 olden time, these functionaries retain the title of 
 juvenility, although they may be advanced in years ; 
 it is a distinction applied to the occupation, and being 
 one in which considerable trust is reposed, there is 
 no inconsistency in selecting one of mature age. A 
 trainer, or superintendent, must, of necessity, be now 
 and then away from home, and then the charge of 
 the stable department devolves on the head lad. He 
 is also required to maintain a subordinate command 
 
HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 25 
 
 over the boys ; .and therefore, to be worthy of the ap- 
 pointment, he must possess many good qualities, of 
 which implicit obedience to orders is one of the first. 
 Unless he strictly sets the example of obedience, he 
 will not be able to exact it from those who are under 
 him. In every case where it can be conveniently 
 practised, it will be found a good plan to issue direc- 
 tions to the boys, through the head lad, as it will 
 accustom them to obey his instructions. Without 
 exercising tyranny, he must exact compliance, and 
 to that end should, on his promotion, cease from 
 familiarities with his late associates. To create 
 irespect, he must demean himself respectably. That 
 he should be a good horseman is of the utmost im- 
 portance ; for he will not only have to ride the most 
 difficult horses, but he will have to instruct the boys 
 in the art of equestrianism. For this and other 
 reasons, he must be good tempered. Cleanliness in 
 his own person, with a perfect regard to order, punc- 
 tuality, and neatness in every department over which 
 he has any control, are essential habits ; and unless 
 he is gifted with discretion in not making unneces- 
 sary and improper communications, he is not fit for 
 his place. As he will often be tempted to betray the 
 interests of his employer, he requires the combined 
 merits of integrity and firmness. When questions 
 kre put to him relative to any horses or affairs con- 
 nected with the stable, he should possess the tact, 
 without incivility or direct falsehood, of evading those 
 questions. 
 
 A very trustworthy lad, whom I had in my em- 
 
26 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 ployment several years, possessed this faculty in 
 great perfection. On one occasion, when on the 
 road to Bath races in charge of two horses, he was 
 met by a gentleman, who inquired " Whose horse? 
 they were." " If you please, sir, I cannot tell you.'' 
 " What races are you going to ? " was a sequenl 
 question; and that was replied to by a similai 
 answer. Several other unimportant queries met witr. 
 precisely the same fate. Two or three days after- 
 wards, when on my way to the races, I met the same 
 gentleman, who was an old acquaintance ; and in th< 
 course of conversation I mentioned my destination 
 " Oh ! " he exclaimed, e ' were those your horses \ 
 saw on the road a few days since ? " at the same tim< 
 giving a description of them : upon which, I sai( 
 they were. " A strange sort of lad that of yours 
 who had the care of them," he observed ; and relate* 
 to me what had passed. " I hope he was not uncivi 
 to you ? " I inquired. " No, by no means," he said 
 " the young man was very respectful ; but all 
 could get out of him was, * Sir, I cannot tell you.' 
 " I do not understand," said I to my friend, " tha 
 Stay servant has told you any untruth, or acted in an; 
 way improperly. On the contrary, had he givei 
 direct answers to any stranger, he would have don 
 so in defiance of general orders. His having replie< 
 'he could not tell,' implied that some definite cir 
 cumstance controlled him." As the gentleman ii 
 question was not in any way connected with racing 
 it would not have signified in the slightest degre i 
 if he had received the most explicit replies to th 
 
HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 27 
 
 Ipiestions which he put, unless he might have in- 
 lidvertently given the information he had received to 
 others who might have made a bad use of it. For 
 nstance, supposing the horses had been intended to 
 ;un for stakes which had not closed, and the inquiry 
 nade what races they were going to" run for : the 
 imswer, being given, would not have been of the least 
 [importance to the inquirer, but he might meet with 
 mother friend en route to the same meeting, to whom 
 be might mention that certain horses were gone to 
 Bath to run for certain stakes ; and thus if the latter 
 person happened to have any of inferior merit, he 
 would be deterred from entering them. Such a 
 question being once replied to, it is impossible to 
 know where the news may circulate ; and on the eve 
 of race meetings there are invariably numbers of 
 inquisitive persons about, endeavouring to collect all 
 possible intelligence for all possible purposes. To 
 all inquiries of a similar nature, head lads, and all 
 other lads, should have the answer ready, — " If you 
 please, sir, I cannot tell you." 
 
 It is desirable, although not a sine qua non, that 
 a head lad should be a light weight, as in that case he 
 is the most proper person to lead gallops, ride trials 
 and sweats, and may be occasionally put up to ride 
 races ; the latter profession, however, if the indi 
 vidual possesses sufficient ability, usually gives rise t< 
 'ambitious notions incompatible with the duties o 
 this service. 
 
 No colony enjoys internal peace and order, unless 
 it be governed by well digested regulations. Where 
 
28 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 there are so many youthful tempers to be dealt with, 
 as there must necessarily be where a number oi 
 boys are employed, as is the case in racing stables, 
 a steady eye is necessary to direct them, and lawsi 
 once established should never be permitted to be 
 infringed with impunity. Disobedience of any rule 
 or order once overlooked, will assuredly create dis- 
 regard and disrespect for others. The necessity foi 
 severe punishment will be avoided by slight punish- 
 ment for trivial offences, if there be a thorough 
 understanding that the amount of punishment will, 
 on all occasions, be commensurate with the degree 
 of misconduct. There is no class of servants im 
 whom obedience is of greater importance, than those 
 who are employed in the care of race-horses ; andi 
 when it is remembered that the giddy mind of youth 
 may frustrate the hopes of years, and destroy the 
 chance of gaining thousands, by one act of dis- 
 obedience, it cannot be necessary to urge another 
 word on the importance of strict discipline. 
 
 The number of boys required to attend to a 
 certain number of horses, may be decreased in ratio 
 as the number of horses increases. Paradoxical as* 
 the assertion appears, it will be clear on explana- 
 tion. Thus, if there be only three or four horses i 
 in work, an equal number of boys are required; 
 but if there be eight or ten horses, five or six] 
 boys will be sufficient, as it will seldom, if ever, be 
 necessary to send all the horses out to exercise at 
 the same time. 
 
 In making engagements with boys for this pur- 
 
HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 29 
 
 oose, it is desirable to select those who are of small 
 tature. Whether that property descends from their 
 parents, is not in all cases a matter of certainty, 
 leither is it possible to determine whether a youngster 
 it twelve years of age, although diminutive, may 
 lot rapidly increase during the succeeding six or 
 tight years, and become a lusty man ; nevertheless, 
 ;he best criterion is the actual growth of the urchin. 
 Phe respectability of the parents is an important 
 consideration ; for though it appears hard to visit the 
 ins of the fathers on the children, yet, unless boys 
 pave been taught obedience and propriety of conduct, 
 hey are sure to create much trouble ere they are 
 Irilled into good behaviour. The usual custom is 
 to engage novices for a term of years ; and this is 
 i necessary one, for during the first twelve months 
 hey are seldom of much use ; and to get well-con- 
 lucted boys from other training stables, after having 
 earnt their duties, is not very easy. Owners of 
 lorses and trainers do not like to part with them ; 
 n fact, having engaged them upon such conditions, 
 ;hey cannot consistently do so. Of young scamps 
 here are plenty; but their society is dangerous at 
 mce to their comrades, and to the horses entrusted 
 o their care. 
 
 \ Rubbing legs, rolling bandages, cleaning bridles 
 md saddles, carrying water, and such like subor- 
 linate employments, are the preliminary lessons of 
 he novice, until by degrees he becomes familiar 
 vith such operations, and, in course of time, ascends 
 o higher occupations. The art of horsemanship is 
 
30 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 an acquirement indispensable in the stable-boy, and 
 it is one in which there are many degrees of supe- 
 riority. Some attain it very quickly, — in them it 
 appears as a gift ; others require much tuition ; and 
 many never become proficients, with every advan- 
 tage of the most patient instructors. Now, these 
 decrees arise from divers causes, which may be 
 single or collective. The formation of the human 
 frame is various in its adaptation to equestrian 
 exercises. The youth with short thighs, with knees 
 having an unsymmetrical affinity for each other, 
 can scarcely be expected to accomplish the first 
 most essential acquirement, a good seat; but he 
 whose thighs are lengthy, with knees a trifle bowed, 
 outwards, appears as if nature had. formed him foi 
 the purpose, the moment he is placed in the saddle 
 Confidence is a qualification without which neithei j 
 man or boy can ever ride with effect ; however larg( 
 and physically powerful the frame may be, if the 
 individual is timid and nervous, he is a useless in- 
 cumbrance on the animal he bestrides. The first- 
 named quality, that is, the formation of the limbs 
 cannot be controlled ; the latter may be so, to a verjjj 
 considerable extent, by means of instruction. If ar 
 unpractised rider be placed on an unsteady horse, ii 
 is very probable they may quickly dissolve partner- 
 ship ; and if in doing so, the partner who aspires t( 
 be at the head of the firm, receive an injury by th( 
 prostration, he will very probably be 'reluctant ir 
 again attempting an experiment; and although the 
 fear of chastisement from a superior, and of derisior 
 
HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 31 
 
 from his companions, may stimulate the fallen as- 
 pirant to another essay, it will not be accompanied 
 with confidence. 
 
 The most successful method of giving preliminary 
 instruction to boys in the art of riding, is very 
 simple. To begin, I place a saddle on the stand 
 provided for the purpose of cleaning the stable ap- 
 pointments upon ; this is done previously to placing 
 the youngster on the back of a horse. Having 
 put the boy on the saddle, and adjusted the stirrup 
 leathers to the right length, he is shown the pro- 
 per position for his legs, — instructing him to keep 
 them somewhat forward, with the foot bearing well 
 down on the stirrup iron, and the toes pointed a 
 trifle upwards, to avoid the iron pressing on the 
 instep, by which bad habit a very insecure seat 
 is contracted. Having given the necessary di- 
 rections as to seat and upright carriage of the 
 body, and thoroughly inculcated the propriety of 
 keeping the shoulders well down in the back, the 
 position of the hands and arms is the next point. 
 A single rein is then given to him, and the manner 
 of using it described. The instructor, standing in 
 front of the pupil, takes the bit in his hands, holding 
 it in a position similar to that in which a horse carries 
 his head when that member is in a good place. The 
 most minute instructions may thus be given, when 
 iraising the bit to the height where it would be in the 
 event of a horse carrying his head very high: the boy 
 is informed of the intention, and is desired to apply a 
 iremedy; this he naturally does by lowering his own 
 
32 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 bands. At the same time he must be ordered to 
 sit well back in the saddle. The example of a horse 
 getting his head below its proper bearing, is illus- 
 trated by a contrary disposition of the bit ; to obviate 
 which, the hands must be elevated with a sort of 
 rotatory motion, and the bit simultaneously drawn 
 across the mouth: this will afford an opportunity of! 
 cautioning the boy not to allow himself to be pulled 
 over a horse's shoulders, in case he should attempt 
 to get his head down, and at the same moment 
 stretch out his neck with a kind of jerk, which will 
 pull an inexperienced rider out of his saddle. This 
 will be a fitting opportunity for illustrating the ad- 
 vantages attendant upon keeping the shoulders in aj 
 proper position. If they be shrugged up, not only 
 will a great portion of power be lost, but the animal 
 will very probably pull the rider out of his seat. 
 To prevent this, the feet also require to be placed 
 more forward than usual ; sitting well down in the 
 saddle, by putting the hands down on each sidei 
 of the withers, the intentions of horses so disposed 
 are frustrated. The advantages of these preliminary ! 
 lessons are very clear. The novice receives his! 
 instructions without excitement or fear of being 
 thrown ; he consequently attends to them. Take, 
 for example, the illustration of a horse carrying his 
 head too high. If an inexperienced rider be on such 
 an animal, his hands are invariably in a parallel line 
 with the horse's mouth. If the pace be a gallop, in j 
 all probability the animal breaks away ; but as the 
 saddle stand is not guilty of such indiscretions, the 
 
HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 33 
 
 pupil is capable of being' instructed at a time when 
 his thoughts are undisturbed, and his movements 
 under calm control; thus, an important point is 
 gained towards inculcating confidence. This quality 
 successfully introduced, the physical accomplish- 
 ments follow in succession. The power of a horse- 
 man is most intimately connected with confidence, 
 practice, seat, and hands ; if these four requisites 
 are combined, although the individual possessing 
 them may be of small stature and light weight, they 
 will render him far more capable of managing a de- 
 termined horse, than one of considerably greater 
 bulk, in whom any one of them is deficient. The 
 great importance of a firm, secure, and steady seat, 
 must not be overlooked ; it may be termed the 
 basis of good horsemanship, and boys should be 
 taught to support themselves entirely by it, without 
 any recourse to the bridle; by that means, in course 
 of time, they may acquire good hands, but without 
 it they never will. When riding up a gallop, it is 
 too frequently the case that boys, as well as more 
 matured riders, depend much on their hands, or 
 more properly their arms, to keep them steady, and 
 by thus hanging at their horses' heads, dead, in- 
 sensible mouths are formed. So much depends upon 
 the place in which a horse carries his head as to the 
 position of the hands, that considerable practice is 
 requisite to attain this important accomplishment in 
 the art of riding. With a nice steady smooth-2;oing 
 horse, the hands should be laid one on each side of 
 the upper part of the shoulder just below the 
 
 D 
 
34 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 withers, from whence they need scarcely be moved, 
 unless to regulate the pace or to make a turn. In 
 any case they should be kept as still as possible. 
 The flexibility arising from the wrist should be stu- 
 diously preserved by the position of the hand : as by 
 this the delicacy of touch can only be produced. 
 For this purpose, the thumbs are to be kept up- 
 wards, and pointing in a direct line to each other, 
 so that the knuckles of the hand stand forward : this 
 causes the wrists to be slightly bent, and by that 
 means the lightness or flexibility is preserved. But 
 if the hands are held with the knuckles upwards, 
 and the little finger outwards, with a straight wrist, 
 the only elasticity that can be afforded is from the 
 elbow ; and in these circumstances the hand cannot 
 regulate or cultivate a lively delicate mouth so 
 thoroughly dependent upon the person whose duty 
 it is to ride the animal at his daily exercise. 
 
 Unfortunately for boys, and I may add for the 
 horses which they ride, very little pains is taken, in 
 a general way, to teach them the art of riding. They 
 are left very much to themselves to learn how they 
 can, by imitating their elders ; hence, if the latter 
 have acquired bad habits, the juveniles will, most 
 probably, fall into similar errors. If a boy rides 
 very badly, the trainer most probably tells him so, 
 probably chastises him ; but, in telling him of his 
 fault, he does not always explain the way by which the 
 error is to be counteracted. In large establishments, 
 where there are a great many horses in work, the 
 trainer has too many other things to engross his 
 
HEAD LADS AND STABLE-BOYS. 3o 
 
 attention, to permit him to devote his time, as riding 
 master, to every inexperienced boy in his employ- 
 ment ; but it is a duty in those cases which should 
 be attended to by the head lad, or some other com- 
 petent individual. 
 
 The mischievous tricks which boys are prone to 
 play upon the horses under their care — plaguing and 
 tormenting them — require constant attention; and 
 whenever a case of the kind is discovered, the of- 
 fender should be punished, not only to deter him 
 from repeating his misconduct, but as an example to 
 his companions. Some boys commit these faults 
 from ignorance, others from thorough badness of dis- 
 position ; but, whatever may be the motive, the re- 
 sults are similar. The dangerous custom of striking 
 horses on their legs with the side of the brush, or 
 other hard substance, when they do not stand quietly 
 or conveniently, is to be guarded against. When- 
 ever a horse's legs are observed to fill, or show 
 symptoms of blows, the cause should be carefully 
 ascertained. The silly, absurd, and dangerous pro- 
 pensity of lashing out with one hind leg, — a habit 
 which many horses acquire, — is usually the result 
 of provocation by the boys tickling them on the in- 
 side of the thigh. Whenever a horse performs these 
 pranks, the best way to cure him is to punish the 
 boy who looks after him. 
 
 i> 2 
 
36 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 HUNTING-GROOMS AND HELPERS. 
 
 Comparative Duties of Trainers and Hunting-Grooms. — Gradations. 
 
 Gentlemen Grooms. — Single-handed Grooms. — Occasional 
 
 Assistance. — Inexperienced Servants. — Anecdote of a Gentleman 
 Groom. — The Use of Drugs restricted. — A Veterinary Education 
 for Hunting-Grooms deprecated. — Helpers and their Duties. — 
 Covert Lads. — Second Horse Lads. 
 
 Compared with those of trainers,, the duties of 
 hunting-grooms are light and easy. The former 
 must necessarily have a vast weight of responsibility 
 on their shoulders, not only as regards the value of 
 the animals under their care, but also the large sums 
 of money frequently dependent on their success. 
 The last are events from which hunting-grooms 
 are totally free, unless they may be employed in 
 preparing horses for steeple-chasing, in which case 
 their positions are very similar. 
 
 Whoever keeps a large stud of valuable hunters 
 must necessarily employ a competent person to su- 
 perintend them ; and when, descending in the scale, 
 we consider the requirements of those who are under 
 the necessity of limiting their desires to one or two 
 horses, the dignified title of hunting-groom appears 
 inapplicable to the functionaries who have the care 
 
HUNTING-GROOMS AND HELPERS. 37 
 
 of them. At the same time, there are many degrees 
 in this class of servants ; from those whose duty it is 
 only to superintend the stable department, to those 
 who take a share in the work, and others who do the 
 whole. The first can only be necessary when the 
 stud is very numerous and valuable. For my own 
 part, I have a great objection to gentlemen grooms ; 
 and for this, if for no other, reason, that they have 
 not sufficient employment to occupy their time. Many 
 hunting men, who only keep three or four horses, are 
 burdened with these superfluities, but I do not find 
 their horses are in better condition than those of others 
 who require their head groom to perform his share of 
 the labour. It generally happens, that a man whose 
 means only permit him to keep a couple of hunters, 
 takes some pleasure in superintending the manage- 
 ment of them himself, and one servant is of course 
 sufficient to do the work ; but there is more difficulty 
 in meeting with one for this purpose, who is in every 
 respect calculated for it, than there is in selecting 
 any other kind of domestic servant. Many of those 
 who are really competent, generally aspire to what 
 they consider higher employment; they want a 
 menial under them, — in fact, do not like to work 
 single-handed. In this they are to a certain extent 
 correct, if their motive be to do justice to the horse ; 
 because when a hunter returns home after his day's 
 work, two persons ought to be in attendance to dress 
 him with the expedition so essential on those occa- 
 sions. At such times a boy, a gardener, or any super- 
 
 D 3 
 
38 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 A 
 
 numerary, who is at other times differently em- 
 ployed, may be brought into the stable with ad- 
 vantage. A rough unsophisticated rustic is one of 
 the greatest torments that can be introduced into a 
 stable. He must be constantly looked after, other-* 
 wise he leaves the sweat on the horse's ears, or 
 between his legs, or the saddle stains are not got out, 
 the legs and feet are carelessly washed, besides ne- 
 glecting many other little items essential to the 
 comfort of the horse ; and then when he brings the 
 nag out for his master to ride, some of the appoint- 
 ments are imperfectly cleaned, — an event which 
 usually happens when time will not permit of his 
 being sent back to reclean them; in short, their 
 habits are such that they cannot comprehend the 
 necessity for that nicety which is inseparable from 
 the requirements of the horse, if he is to be fit in 
 condition and appearance to carry a gentleman. 
 
 Whenever I happen to meet with one of the order 
 of gentlemen grooms, it forcibly reminds me of a 
 circumstance which occurred some years since. A 
 friend of mine who had been hunting in Northamp- 
 tonshire, attended the Warwick Spring Meeting en 
 route homewards, with his horses in attendance ; and 
 although his stud only consisted of six, they were 
 first-rate hunters. While sojourning at Leamington 
 he took a mutual acquaintance, an excellent judge, 
 into the stable, and asked his opinion relative to the 
 treatment which would be most beneficial for the 
 cure of certain injuries which some of the horses had 
 
HUNTING-GROOMS AND HELPERS. 39 
 
 sustained ; and which opinion was frankly and judi- 
 ciously given. This, however, did not please the 
 scrupulous jealousy of so important a personage as 
 the master of the horse, who replied to observations 
 made by our friend in very laconic, disrespectful, 
 terms ; whereupon, the master of the horses thought 
 fit to remonstrate with his servant, at the same time 
 telling him j that he expected every gentleman whom 
 he brought into the stable to be treated with civility. 
 The reply was, " When a gentleman comes into my 
 stable and behaves as sich, I treats him as one : but 
 when he comes in as a groom to give his opinions, I 
 treats him as a groom." This impertinence led to 
 his discharge ; and in less than two years from 
 that time, I saw him in Tattersalls' yard in a state of 
 great poverty. He was too idle to work, and, having 
 lost his character, could not obtain a situation similar 
 to the one which he had so ridiculously lost. 
 
 Unless a groom is thoroughly competent, it is a 
 dangerous practice to allow him to give any kind 
 of medicine without his master's knowledge : this, of 
 course, only applies to those cases where the pro- 
 prietor takes an interest in the management of his 
 stable, and consequently directs the details himself. 
 The owner of a large stud, who is in all probability 
 engaged in other pursuits, must necessarily confide 
 such matters to his groom. It is therefore important 
 to him that he employs a servant capable of directing 
 such minutiae. But those who enjoy the means of 
 keeping large establishments are few in number 
 
 D 4 
 
40 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 compared with those who are obliged to content 
 themselves with two or three, perchance only one 
 hunter. The kind of groom whom the latter engages 
 is seldom sufficiently experienced to give medicine 
 ad libitum. In such hands the veterinary art is a 
 very dangerous plaything. The incongruous mix- 
 tures which persons unacquainted with chemistry 
 will frequently combine together, are calculated to 
 produce very serious consequences ; and as there is 
 a certain class of stable servants, who conceive by 
 giving alteratives, cordials, fever-balls, and such like 
 inconsistencies mixed together for the purpose, as 
 they imagine, of making the horses look well with 
 less trouble to themselves, the safer plan is, to lay 
 an injunction against the use of any medicine without 
 a proper sanction. It sometimes happens, that hunt- 
 ing-giooms who aspire to the management of large 
 studs, consider it a great recommendation to have 
 passed their examination at the Veterinary College ; 
 but with this opinion I am not prepared to agree. A 
 really clever man will be certain to succeed by the 
 practice of the profession. A dunce will derive no 
 useful knowledge by attending the College, but will 
 most probably get his brains conglomerated with 
 technical terms which he does not comprehend ; and, 
 like one of these geniuses with whom I was in con- 
 versation a short time since, recommend the use of 
 Peter Oleum (petroleum he meant) for thrushes ; 
 and although, as it happened, the remedy was proper 
 for the occasion, it would have been better if he 
 had stuck to the comprehensive word, " tar." The 
 
HUNTING-GEOOMS AND HELPERS. 41 
 
 practice, although the stud may be large as a private 
 one, is never sufficiently extensive to maintain, much 
 less to mature, a college education, unless a variety 
 of unnecessary operations are performed to keep 
 the practitioner's hand in, — proceedings which few 
 owners of extensive and valuable studs are at all 
 disposed to encourage. 
 
 The next order of servants required in hunting- 
 stables, are helpers, whose duties are simply to dress 
 the horses of which they have the care, take them 
 out to exercise, and clean the appointments. Three 
 horses are generally assigned to each man, with 
 which he is certainly fully employed if he does his 
 duty. Men who are afraid of labour should never 
 be engaged in such services. They must frequently 
 be at work by five o'clock in the morning ; indeed, 
 in many hunting establishments, that is the regular 
 hour during the season. But as no hounds ever 
 meet before half-past ten, it appears rather unne- 
 cessary, in a general way, to disturb the horses so 
 early, unless they have a great distance to go to covert. 
 Nevertheless, helpers must not be scrupulous about 
 their time ; they must work early and late if required ; 
 and that being the case, their wages are generally 
 liberal. A steady lad, whose services are required 
 to take the hunters to covert, is almost essential, 
 unless the head groom performs that duty ; to which 
 there are objections, inasmuch as during his ab- 
 sence the horses must necessarily be left to the 
 discretion of persons not always to be depended 
 upon. It is better that he should remain at home 
 
42 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 and attend to the dressing, feeding, and stable 
 duties required by those horses which are not at 
 work, than to delegate those trusts to any other 
 person. Good second horse lads are not very nume- 
 rous; they require many qualifications. Superior 
 horsemanship is indispensable, combined with great 
 steadiness and discretion ; otherwise, the horses which 
 they ride will not be fresher than those which have 
 been ridden with the hounds. Knowledge of country 
 is likewise a very important consideration; for although 
 most of the second horses usually take the same line 
 with an experienced leader -as a guide, if by any 
 chance the pilot is lost sight of, those who are unac- 
 quainted with the country will often be much at a 
 loss what course to steer. For this service men of 
 light weight are far preferable to boys, although 
 their wages may be higher. 
 
43 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 BREAKING. 
 
 Effects of: Education. — A Comparison.— Progressive Tuition of 
 
 Race-horses.— Young Hunters.— Reference to the " Stud Farm." 
 
 — Good Horsemen essential on young Horses.— Alarm to be 
 avoided with young Race-horses when at Exercise. — Pace 
 proportioned to the Advancement in Condition. — Importance 
 of a good Mouth. — Improvement of Action. — Effected by 
 appropriate Bridles judiciously handled. — One-sided Mouths.— 
 Disadvantages which ensue.— Remedies— Teaching norses to 
 leap. — May be done without Hounds.— Confidence necessary to 
 make good Fencers. — Falls to be avoided. — Leading over a Bar 
 or Fence. — Impropriety of Hurry or Confusion. — Riding at 
 Fences. — Horses ought not to be taken repeatedly over the same 
 Fence. — Accomplished Hunters from Stables of eminent Dealers. 
 —Distinct Characters of Riders to Hounds.— Difficulty in procur- 
 ing first-rate Hacks. — Reason why they are found in the Stables of 
 the Affluent. — Time requisite to cultivate Perfections.— Temper. — 
 Proper Age to endure Work. —Ladies' Horses, and the Accomplish- 
 ments requisite in Hacks.— Shying. — Alternatives. —Objects 
 which Horses encounter in Town9. — Starting. — Young Horses 
 should be accustomed to various Objects. — Harness Horses. — 
 Breaking to Harness.— Putting Horses to Carriages. — A precau- 
 tionary Method and its Advantages.— Reasons why some Horses 
 are refractory. — The Duties of an Assistant.— Carts deprecated. 
 
 — Vicious Horses. —Effects of mild Treatment illustrated. — On 
 Bridles. — Mouths. — Hands. — Severe Bits, Objections to.— 
 Snaffles. — Pelhams. —Curb Bits. — Nose-bands. — Choice of Bits. 
 
 — Bridles for Pleasure Horses. — A Change recommended.— 
 Exercise Bridles. 
 
 Mankind are strongly marked by education, and 
 every individual carries the stamp of the place of his 
 instruction upon him through life. The bearing of 
 
44 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 an Etonian is readily distinguished from the com- 
 paratively rude manners of the youth who receives 
 his instructions at an ordinary school. A similar 
 distinction is discernible in the education of the 
 horse : one that has received the finishing polish of 
 tuition from an experienced and accomplished rider, 
 is an infinitely more agreeable servant and companion 
 than a rough animal from the hands of a provincial 
 colt breaker, or the usually unsophisticated guidance 
 of a hard-riding farmer. The trainer can seldom 
 expect to have colts placed under his care, which do 
 not require some tutelage under his hands ; if they 
 have been sufficiently broken as to ride quietly, that 
 is all he can expect. To follow other horses up 
 gallops, and perform the requisite accomplishments 
 during the successive courses of preparation, will, in 
 most instances, come under the supervision of the 
 trainer; and, indeed, on many occasions he will 
 have to direct the entire breaking or tuition of 
 young stock entrusted to his care. Those who 
 follow hounds are frequently in a similar position : 
 whether the duty is undertaken by the master, or 
 devolves upon the groom, it is a task of greater 
 difficulty than that which falls to the lot of the 
 trainer ; because there are so many more accom- 
 plishments required in the experienced hunter than 
 the race horse. In fact, the lessons which the latter 
 goes through daily when at exercise, nearly qualify 
 him for his duties on the course. 
 
 In the pages of the " Stud Farm" I have noticed 
 the degrees of tuition to which young horses ought 
 
BREAKING. 45 
 
 ;o be subjected, so long as they may be considered 
 is inmates of the breeding establishment. It now 
 oecomes necessary to add some additional remarks 
 applicable to race-horses, hunters, and carriage 
 horses, when they arrive at a more advanced stage 
 (luring the course of preparation for "actual service." 
 Concluding a colt to be so far advanced in his 
 education that he will ride quietly, the next process 
 s to teach him to canter; and in the first probations 
 It is far more rational to put up a man of tolerably 
 light weight, or boy of moderate proportions with 
 power and experience, who can ride well, than in- 
 capable urchins with whom it is a matter of great 
 chance if the colt does not contract some bad habit, 
 which will not easily be corrected. It is to be re- 
 membered, at this stage of training, the colt is not 
 required to go at a fast pace; it would not be 
 proper, either as regards his education, or his con- 
 dition. To promote these intentions, a steady horse 
 of more mature age is requisite to lead the work. 
 On all occasions it is a consideration of moment to 
 avoid alarming a horse ; and although this applies to 
 every hour of his life, it is of greater consequence 
 with young than with aged horses ; that is to say, 
 young ones will be alarmed at trifling objects, which 
 at a future age they would not notice. Exercise 
 grounds will frequently be in such order, that the 
 preceding horse will throw the dirt upon the one 
 which follows : with young ones this should be care- 
 fully prevented, by keeping at such a distance as to 
 escape the disagreeable salutation. It will be time 
 
46 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 enough to lay up and accustom the young animal to 
 this unpleasantness, as he becomes more and^ more 
 advanced in his preparation and has gained con- 
 fidence, at which period it is highly advisable hei 
 should be occasionally accustomed to the uncere- 
 monious proceeding, that it may not be new to him 
 on being brought to the post to run, when he wil] 
 at times be subject to the annoyance. 
 
 As the first preparation advances, an increase o\\ 
 pace will be occasionally necessary: but this must! 
 be adopted with discretion,, for there can be nci 
 doubt that more young animals are ruined by in-j 
 judiciously hurrying them in their work, both witl 
 reference to breaking, and the endeavour to promote j 
 their condition, than by any other single circum- \ 
 stance. Improvement, in whatever way it is courted j 
 must be acquired by slow degrees ; and whoevei I 
 attempts to assail the handiworks of nature, bj 
 violent or precipitate measures, is certain to be 
 foiled in the attempt. 
 
 At this stage in the operation of breaking, it isi 
 presumed that the ordeal of lounging has been com- j 
 pleted ; when the condition of the mouth become: 
 an object of paramount attention. The control 
 which we acquire over the horse depends upon the I 
 mouth, and likewise a vast proportion of the agree- j 
 able or disagreeable associations which render exer- 
 cise on horseback pleasant or toilsome. A good 
 mouth is the medium by which any improvement in 
 the natural carriage of an animal is to be accom- 
 plished. When going at a slow pace, the way in 
 
BREAKING. 47 
 
 vhich a horse carries himself may, to a very con- 
 iderable extent, be controlled ; but when at speed, 
 )r even when nearly approximating that pace, his 
 inrestrained action must prevail. By habit in the 
 >low paces, improvement in the faster ones may be 
 'lightly obtained ; but that must be brought about 
 >y very moderate attempts, otherwise the action of 
 :he animal, far from being corrected, will inevitably 
 )e rendered worse. A horse that bends himself 
 licely, is, undoubtedly, more pleasant to ride than 
 )ne which runs with his nose down to his knees ; or 
 :he reverse, with his head in rivalry with that of his 
 •ider ; and such defects are, in most cases, capable 
 )f correction if properly treated in juvenile days ; 
 )ut too much constraint is adverse to pace, both for 
 •acing and hunting. When a horse carries his head 
 too high, it may, in many instances, be remedied by 
 ising a curb bit without any port, but with rather 
 \ong cheeks, and the curb chain hung quite loose. 
 Accompanied with good hands, this often produces 
 in excellent effect, especially with young horses, 
 ivhich are disposed to contend against the control of 
 i martingale. It may appear as a contradiction ; 
 out when a horse carries his head too low, a curb 
 bridle will often be found the best remedy ; and the 
 contradiction is cleared up by the remark, that it is 
 by the way of adjusting and using the curb, that the 
 difference of effect is produced. For the latter pur- 
 pose, a short cheeked bit, when judiciously used, 
 vvill with many subjects be found effectual ; and, in 
 order to render it so, the hands must be raised higher 
 
48 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 than usual at the precise instant when the animal 
 endeavours to drop his head; by this means thd 
 curb is brought into action, but should be agair 
 released when the proper position of the head if 
 obtained. This should be particularly attended to 
 for such horses are very subject to hang on the bit 
 — an imperfection likely to increase with age if no 
 counteracted. Although I so far advocate the us< 
 of double rein or curb bridles for certain purposes 
 let me not be misunderstood as recommending then i 
 for general use, — quite the reverse. A horse with j i 
 good mouth, carrying his head in the true position 
 never goes so freely and pleasantly to himself, a 
 with a snaffle bridle; but it is to teach the hors< i 
 how to carry himself, that the curb is in many case 
 of great utility. 
 
 Colts that have been carelessly treated frequentl; 
 acquire a habit of getting the snaffle on one side o 
 their mouths ; thus they become less sensitive on on 
 side than the other, and eventually the same in 
 convenience is discovered when a curb is used 
 This not only renders them very unpleasant to ride 
 but in racing frustrates in a great measure th<> 
 jockey's efforts to make the turns with precision, an( 
 also in straight running occasions difficulty in keep 
 ins them in the course. With such defects it is im 
 possible to make the most of a horse. With hunters 
 independently of the unpleasantness to their riders 
 they cannot be ridden so nicely at their fence: 
 when they possess one-sided mouths; moreover, irj 
 severe runs with hounds, contention must have th( 
 
BREAKING. 49 
 
 effect of producing fatigue, as much as similar pro- 
 ceedings affect the race-horse. To avoid this pro- 
 pensity, it is important that due attention should be 
 observed during the progress of tuition ; for it is 
 much easier to remedy a defect than to correct a 
 bad habit. Now it must be obvious to every person 
 possessing the slightest practice, that constantly 
 pulling at that side of the horse's mouth which is 
 the least sensitive, will, in course of time, render it 
 still worse ; and the most effectual method of cor- 
 recting this bad habit, is by keeping the bit as even 
 as possible, when such animals are being ridden, and 
 frequently to indulge them with the company of the 
 dumb jockey, to which a straight- mouthed bit is 
 applied. The trick of taking the cheek of the curb 
 between the teeth, very frequently arises from the 
 cause just named, but that can readily be obviated 
 by means of a chin strap. 
 
 On a former occasion we suggested the propriety 
 of teaching young horses to leap small fences while 
 under the surveillance of the breaking tackle, but 
 as in many instances that will have been neglected, 
 it here becomes necessary to introduce some obser- 
 vations on the treatment of those whose future em- 
 ployment is destined to be in the hunting field. 
 iMuch more can be accomplished in teaching horses 
 po fence, if properly conducted, without hounds than 
 (with them. In the first case, there is nothing to 
 iattract the animal's notice except the performance 
 which he is called upon to accomplish ; but when 
 out with hounds, there are constantly new objects to 
 
 E 
 
50 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 occasion excitement: thus high-mettled horses will 
 frequently contract a habit of rushing wildly at the 
 fences, and, by so doing, experience many unnecessary 
 falls. I have often heard, with surprise, good sports- 
 men express themselves in terms of satisfaction at 
 their young horses having had falls. I must confess 
 I would rather mine did so as seldom as possible. 
 The first step towards making a good hunter is to 
 establish confidence. Can that be accomplished by 
 occasioning alarm, often injury, and sometimes pain? 
 Horses frequently fall from want of confidence in 
 themselves, and impatience, not always free from 
 timidity, in their riders. A horse, with a naturally 
 high spirit, when roused and excited, will often go 
 up to a fence, and fall from the consequences of 
 alarm and injudicious treatment — being hurried ; not 
 knowing where to take off, he probably runs into the 
 ditch, if it lie on the near side, and comes down a 
 burster ; or if the squire trap be on the further side, 
 by taking off too soon, drops into the snare. These 
 dilemmas may, to a material extent, be avoided 
 by practice, previously to taking them out with 
 hounds ; and I imagine there are but few persons 
 who would not prefer that mode of treatment which 
 will render a hunter equally accomplished and per- 
 fect at his business, with the fewest number of falls, 
 and, consequently, with the least amount of risk. 
 
 The first endeavour to teach a horse to leap should 
 be with a leading rein at a low bar, if such a con- 
 venience be at hand, or over a low fence that will 
 not yield ; low walls and stiles, open drains and 
 
BREAKING. 51 
 
 ditches, small brooks, — in fact, every description of 
 fence the country affords should be presented in 
 succession as the animal evinces ability to perform 
 the task. "When leading a horse over a fence, the 
 person having the rein should carefully avoid look- 
 ing the pupil in the face, — a very prevalent, but 
 injudicious custom. All animals are abashed at 
 the stern gaze of a man's eye ; hence when it is 
 desired to encourage them to follow, a moment's 
 reflection must dictate the propriety of attending to 
 this hint. It is also a very mistaken plan to give 
 any horse a long run at a fence, but particularly 
 those minor fences chosen for exercise or tuition. 
 Four or five lengths is quite sufficient. Hurry and 
 confusion is to be avoided, for it is impossible an 
 animal can measure his stride, and adapt it to the 
 proper place for rising or taking off if he be bustled 
 and alarmed at the moment of making the at- 
 tempt. After a few lessons with the leading rein, 
 it becomes necessary for the horse to be ridden over 
 some fences, and for this purpose a steady horseman 
 with good hands should be selected. Without en- 
 tering minutely into the subject of equestrianism, 
 it may be necessary to make a passing remark on 
 the very prevalent custom of riding horses at fences 
 with the reins in one hand, in which case, if the 
 animal has any inclination to refuse, the rider has 
 but little power to keep him straight ; whereas, with 
 the reins divided, any such disposition may be checked, 
 especially if accompanied by the judicious persuasion 
 of the spurs. The very unwise application of the 
 e 2 
 
52 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 whip, at the moment a horse is about to take his 
 spring, cannot be too seriously condemned ; that im- 
 plement raised at such a moment, often causes horses 
 to swerve, and when once a horse has been struck, 
 he naturally expects a similar salutation when he 
 approaches a succeeding fence ; he therefore rushes 
 wildly at it, and a fall is in all probability the result. 
 Here it is necessary to introduce a caution, not to 
 take a horse too often over the same place. Old and 
 experienced hunters frequently repudiate such en- 
 gagements. I have often seen very superior animals 
 ridden repeatedly over the same flight of hurdles, till 
 at last they would scarcely jump them at all. Such 
 treatment is calculated to teach careless and bad 
 habits. When a young horse has' cleared a par- 
 ticular fence neatly and cleverly once or twice, he 
 should not be required to try it again ; that should 
 terminate his lesson, or he should be taken to a fence 
 of a different character. When weary, horses 
 become careless, and from that cause it is very in- 
 judicious to go on with young ones after hounds 
 when they begin to show the slightest symptoms of 
 distress. Young horses, and many of those out of 
 the stables of farmers, will have to undergo these 
 probationary lessons, unless their owners are content 
 to rough it when following the hounds. Hunters 
 from the emporiums of a very few of the first-rate 
 dealers will not require such drilling, from the simple 
 cause that they do not attempt to recommend them, 
 unless they are certain the animals know their 
 business ; and as they generally employ an artiste of 
 
BREAKING. 53 
 
 superior ability to ascertain their qualifications, they 
 are never very far out in their judgment. In this I 
 I am alluding only to dealers of the highest repute. 
 
 Among first-rate men with hounds, two distinct 
 
 characters may be noticed ; those .who will go in 
 
 front upon any horse endowed with the faculty of 
 
 going, so that they can fence, stay, and go the pace, 
 
 I no matter how difficult or disagreeable they may be 
 
 ! to ride ; the others are men who go well on certain 
 
 I kinds of horses, thoroughly made, with good mouths, 
 
 fine tempers, and with action suited to their taste 
 
 and peculiarity of seat Of the two, the first-named 
 
 have much less difficulty in finding horses to suit 
 
 them than the latter. 
 
 A really good hack is a creature difficult to pro- 
 cure. Not that there is a great scarcity of the " raw 
 material," but, unfortunately, it is only the raw 
 material that can, in many instances, be obtained ; 
 this arises principally from want of care in breaking. 
 It is presumptuous in people to suppose, and subjects 
 them to ridicule when they assert that they can com- 
 plete the education of a colt as well in three weeks 
 as in three years ; but there may be some few who do 
 not appreciate a nicely-trained hack, and it is a great 
 pity when such an animal happens to get into their 
 possession. In my juvenile days I was forcibly 
 struck with the prevailing fact, that hacks, when sold 
 in consequence of imperative events, out of the studs 
 of noblemen, and others of wealth, realised such 
 great prices, while equally good-looking animals at 
 fairs, or in the possession of persons of less note^ 
 
 E 3 
 
54 STABLE PEACTICE. 
 
 were purchasable at very reduced figures ; but the 
 cause may be readily explained. Those who have 
 the means, only purchase such horses as are tho- 
 roughly educated, or they employ men of experience 
 to break, and cultivate the accomplishments of the 
 horses which they either breed or buy. Of course 
 they only select those of goodly appearance, with 
 superior action ; and no one need despair of making 
 them agreeable to ride, if they will unite patience 
 with discretion. Such animals will always realise a 
 good price ; but it requires time to render them 
 perfect. To suppose that a horse can be educated, 
 so as to carry his rider with comfort and pleasure, in 
 three weeks, or even three months, is ridiculous. An 
 animal may be ridden in a very few. days after he is 
 taken in hand ; but it is not assumed that a gentle- 
 man will undertake the duties of a rough rider, and 
 until horses are. quite tractable, handy, and accom- 
 plished, they are not marketable at high prices. 
 
 Good temper is an attribute more frequently the 
 result of treatment than innate propensities : the 
 best dispositions may be spoiled by ruffianly usage, 
 — or the reverse, pusillanimous timidity. High- 
 couraged horses will become intractable by abuse, 
 and sluggish ones will turn sulky. It is of some 
 importance to ascertain the tendency of an animal's 
 temper, in order to facilitate the progress of tuition. 
 Some horses appear to possess much more retentive 
 memories than others, and, when this is the case, 
 they are in every respect gifted with greater saga- 
 city, and will, when properly managed, usually be- 
 
BREAKING. 55 
 
 come the most docile ; 'but If their memories are 
 retentive of good deeds, they are equally so of 
 injuries. 
 
 Hacks are not usually selected for active service 
 until they have attained their fifth year, neither are 
 they calculated for hard work till that period ; but 
 if they have not been judiciously treated, they will 
 very often by that time have contracted many un- 
 pleasant if not bad habits, which entail more time 
 and trouble to correct, than would be required to 
 teach them their duties from the first. To carry a 
 lady as she ought to be carried, we should be most 
 scrupulously nice in the selection of the palfrey, and 
 in the course of his education ; to carry either a lady 
 or a gentleman it is not necessary to recapitulate the 
 worn-out, threadbare description of what constitutes 
 the good qualifications ; it will be sufficient to men- 
 tion how they are to be fostered. To stand quietly 
 while being mounted, and to walk well, are neces- 
 sary accomplishments. As in the different paces 
 some are faster than others, the slow walker when 
 in company, in order to keep up, is frequently forced 
 into a shuffle, — a most unpleasant, and it may 
 be added ungentlemanly, inelegant kind of action. 
 The virtue, patience, must be taxed sometimes 
 pretty considerably to prevent this ; and so long as 
 the tuition of the animal is in progress, it is far more 
 advisable to allow a companion to walk away, if his 
 rider have not the consideration and politeness to 
 restrain his nag, than to allow a young horse to 
 habituate himself to such an objectionable pace. 
 
 E 4 
 
56 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 When a horse is required to accelerate his speed 
 from the walk to the trot or canter, the indications 
 should be distinct, and thoroughly inculcated ; for it 
 does not add to a horseman's gracefulness if, when 
 he proposes to put his horse in a canter, the brute 
 runs off in a trot, which many will do, from want of 
 proper teaching. 
 
 The habit of shying — for it ought not to be 
 termed a vice in the way of passing censure on the 
 equine race — generally arises from improper and 
 unkind treatment. No horse ever contracts this 
 fault from any cause but fear in the first instance, 
 and that fear may be produced by a variety of 
 causes ; but what is the course too frequently 
 adopted to allay that fear ? — chastisement. A train 
 on a railway, a gipsy's encampment, clothes hanging 
 on a hedge, wheelbarrows, carts drawn by dogs, 
 stones and timber by the wayside, carriages of divers 
 descriptions stationary and in motion, and many 
 other objects with which the list may be increased, 
 are monstrosities which a young horse may never 
 have seen before. His instinct dictates that they 
 may be productive of pain or danger. In the hands 
 of a ruffian the first impulse is verified: roughly 
 handling the reins, he drives his spurs into the sides 
 of the poor frightened victim, and forces him past 
 the object, and not unfrequently beats him after- 
 wards — on every similar occasion the like treatment 
 is observed. Fear having been excited, it matters 
 not whether the object of alarm inflicts pain, or 
 whether it is the thoughtless rider, the same effect 
 
BREAKING. 57 
 
 is produced; die animal has anticipated an injury, 
 and the anticipation is realised. But instead of this, 
 if, on evincing symptoms of alarm, the young creature 
 is very quietly and patiently coaxed to within a 
 short distance of the strange phenomenon, he soon 
 finds that nothing causes him pain, and in a short 
 time ceases to notice any objects that may present 
 themselves. Starting at strange sights that un- 
 3xpectedly and abruptly offer themselves to view 
 are very similar in their consequences, and call forth 
 jthe same sort of kind usage. Horses that have 
 never been accustomed to see anything but what 
 they meet with on country roads are naturally shy 
 imd timid when they encounter the confusion in 
 :he streets of London and other large cities, where 
 omnibuses and such like gigantic machines come 
 oouring along the streets in a continuous stream : by 
 kind treatment they very soon become accustomed 
 :o such sights, and it is astonishing how soon they 
 oecome reconciled to them. 
 
 Young horses should be accustomed in their tute- 
 age to all sorts of objects. If intended for the turf, 
 ;;hey should be ridden or led on to race-courses, 
 vhere they may see and hear what on a future day 
 hey must encounter: if this be neglected, when 
 hey are required to run for, perhaps, a valuable 
 stake, they may probably become so greatly alarmed 
 is to sustain defeat. They should also be taken to 
 )laces where they will meet carriages and vehicles of 
 ill kinds, and if taken to the covert side occasionally 
 ;hey will be better accustomed to varieties. Hunters, 
 
58 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 and all other classes of horses should be taken when 
 young to those places where they will meet w r ith 
 divers strange novelties. 
 
 There are very few horses that cannot be made to 
 go in harness, and that safely, when driven by person? 
 of experience ; but a more dangerous animal cannot 
 exist, than one which has not been thoroughly 
 broken, or is in any way uncertain, in the hands of a 
 novice. 
 
 The routine of breaking for harness, if property 
 conducted, is so efficacious that few disappointments 
 arise, unless a horse has been rendered vicious by ill 
 treatment, or alarmed by an accident. To gcj 
 through every event that may happen, and snggesi 
 a remedy for each in order, to reclaim badly managec 
 or frightened animals is unnecessary. No persoi 
 would, if endowed with moderate prudence, attemp 
 to drive such horses unless thoroughly skilled irj 
 these matters, and to them it is unnecessary to offei 
 advice. 
 
 Every horse intended for harness work, it is to hi 
 presumed, has already gone through the ordinar} < 
 forms of breaking, has a good mouth, is tractable 
 and has been ridden. Before a horse is attached t( 
 any vehicle, the harness should be allowed to remair 
 on him in the stable several hours during two oi 
 three consecutive days; he should be led out, sc 
 that he may become thoroughly accustomed to the 
 trappings, and a cord six or seven feet in iengtt 
 should be fastened to each trace. With this the; 
 horse is quietly led about, one man performing thai 
 
BREAKING. 59 
 
 duty while another follows holding the aforesaid 
 cords, which as the animal moves forward are to 
 be strained, so that he feels a slight pressure of 
 the collar on his shoulders. The intention of this 
 treatment must be obvious ; if the horse is alarmed 
 by the effect of the collar, the man holding the 
 cords which are affixed to the traces can instantly 
 relax them ; and again, when he finds his pupil is 
 reconciled, he may renew a moderate strain, and 
 finally as much resistance as he has the power to 
 create. By this means the most timid horses will 
 gain confidence, and by perseverance the most re- 
 fractory may be overcome. A horse when first en- 
 cumbered with harness, if immediately attached to a 
 vehicle, is astonished when required to move, at find- 
 ing a pressure on his shoulders which he has never 
 previously experienced. He discovers other novel 
 apparatus of confinement ; he is, in fact, trammelled 
 and endeavours to escape; probably he plunges, 
 kicks, or rears, and becomes difficult to manage ; but 
 by the simple process just recommended, all that is 
 obviated ; and w T hen he is found to be reconciled to 
 that kind of exercise, he may be put to a carriage 
 without risk ; and it is quite immaterial whether it 
 be a single or a double break, provided it be light 
 of draught. When putting to, great care should be 
 observed not to run the shafts, pole, or bars, against 
 the animal's sides or quarters; it should be done 
 with the most perfect quietness, yet promptness. 
 During the first two or three essays an assistant is 
 necessary, and it is highly important that he and 
 
60 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the driver or breaksman perfectly understand each 
 other, and the signal of the latter should be the only 
 medium of giving directions. An expert assistant 
 is of value ; it is his business to keep the horse in the 
 road, in case he will not answer to the bit, and also 
 to reconcile and encourage the animal when such 
 treatment is seen to be necessary. The custom of i 
 putting beginners to heavy jumbling carts is more 
 calculated to make them restive than promote the ( 
 object of tuition. The weight is improper, and in i 
 their cases all unnecessary noise should be avoided. 
 The rattle of wheels over new laid broken stones 01 j 
 gravel will occasion alarm to many horses, till they 
 become accustomed to them. A little patience only , 
 is necessary, and all these trifling difficulties and 
 dangers will be overcome. 
 
 The subjugation of vicious horses is an experimeni 
 which can scarcely be recommended ; they may b( 
 ridden or driven by persons gifted with nerve 
 temper, and experience, but with all others they ani 
 dangerous. With an unpractised individual, some- 
 thing may occur to excite a badly-disposed creatur* 
 to a renewal of his malicious propensities ; hence thej 
 require constant watching and precautions to guarc 
 against their tricks. In justice to the equine tribe.. 
 it must be observed, that there are very few natu- 
 rally vicious, though many are rendered dangerous 
 by ill treatment or bad management. I have had 
 two that were pronounced incorrigible, and, as ] 
 found means to render them otherwise, it may not be 
 out of place to relate the measures which rendered 
 
BREAKING. 61 
 
 ;hem tractable. The first was a most determined 
 acker in harness, and as that was the only service 
 |ie was calculated for, I set about to correct his vice. 
 This I did by attaching him to a very strong but 
 light roller, such as is commonly used for rolling 
 barley ; and by means of kicking-straps, and such 
 |ike devices, prevented his getting his legs over the 
 [hafts. A powerful, steady horse was put before 
 him. The scene of action selected, a fallow field. 
 In this he was kept moving from an early hour in the 
 Inorning till dark. He kicked the roller repeatedly, 
 but it hurt his legs, and, in the course of time, he 
 bund he got the worst of it, and left off. I then 
 !)ut him to a gig, but he showed no desire to kick, 
 md I drove him more than twelve months, during 
 which time he never attempted to renew his former 
 Conduct. Afterwards I sold him at a remunerative 
 brice. The other horse would rear on being put to, 
 md, if persevered with, fell backwards. By adopting 
 he plan already advocated, of fastening a cord to 
 :;ach trace, with a little patience he gained sufficient 
 jonfidence to go up to his collar. Having succeeded 
 n teaching him to bear the pressure on his shoulders, 
 L put him to a gig, with which he was not disposed 
 o move. With an assistant on each side on foot 
 ready in case of necessity, I sat in the gig a con- 
 iderable time ; at length he proceeded a step or two, 
 ^nd again stopped ; for this he was encouraged, not 
 vhipped ; for an act of that kind would have defeated 
 Iny intentions. After a further lapse of time he went 
 >n a few steps further, for which he was amply 
 
62 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 fondled ; and lie was kept in the middle of the road 
 by the men gently guiding the shafts. Eventually 
 he walked away as quietly as possible ; and without 
 attempting to urge him to a faster pace, I kept him 
 at that about an hour. On the following day I re- 
 newed the same plan, and never afterwards expe- 
 rienced the least difficulty with him. 
 
 So much of the comfort, both of the rider and the 
 horse, depends upon the bridle made use of, that nc 
 person having regard to his own ease and that of the j 
 animal will pass over it lightly. The very great ' 
 difference which exists in the mouths of horses, the 
 various positions in which their heads are placed, the t 
 formation of their shoulders, their action, and dis- \ 
 positions, ail tend to augment the varieties of bridles 
 which are called in aid to accomplish the desirec 
 object. The hands of different riders also vary 
 and if the equine race had the gift of comparing anc 
 making known the result, I think we should learn 
 that they experience as much difference as we car 
 distinguish in the style of men's autographs. It is 
 therefore necessary to select bridles suitable to hors( I 
 and rider ; and from these causes it is not astonishing j 
 that such a diversity has been invented. To enu- ; 
 merate and describe them all would be a difficuli 
 task. But as many of them are only conspicuous foi( 
 their absurdity, I will content myself with noticing 
 those which are best calculated for the purpose, re- 
 marking, as a general principle, that any which have 
 the effect of keeping the mouth in a sensitive state 
 without severity, are the best ; and that any kind o: 
 
BREAKING, 63 
 
 it having a fixed position, must be objectionable, be- 
 ause it occasions a deadening of the part to which it 
 5 so fixed. For a horse with a light mouth, having his 
 ead naturally in a good place, with good shoulders, 
 nd nice action, the plain snaffle bridle; the thickness 
 f which is proportioned to the size and breeding of 
 
 E' e animal, is doubtless entitled to take precedence 
 all others ; and those made with a ring in the 
 lentre may be mentioned as the most easy. Various 
 Agrees of twist will increase the severity, if the 
 llain snaffle is not sufficient. Those which are 
 Straight from the joint to the rings are still sharper 
 ban such as are formed with a curve, which latter 
 s the general shape. Such as are made with two 
 tiouth-pieces and two joints of unequal length cannot 
 le too strongly condemned. 
 
 j A snaffle without a joint, that is, a straight piece 
 jf metal suspended by a ring on each side, to which 
 fie head-piece is attached, and with two rings, inde- 
 endent of those to receive the reins, if made suffl- 
 iently wide, is an excellent device for some horses, 
 t has a more powerful effect than the ordinary snaffle, 
 nd may be recommended for horses that are too 
 -ritable in their tempers to submit to a curb. 
 . In the " Stud Farm" I have already intimated 
 ome of the objections to which the Pelham bit, 
 aving a joint in the mouth-piece, is subject ; and I 
 rill now add some others. This bit may be de- 
 cribed as a snaffle, w T ith the lower portion of the 
 lieek longer from the mouth-piece than the upper, 
 ^o the lower end is attached a rinsr to receive the 
 
64 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 reins; to the upper part, which is formed into an 
 eye, the curb chain is attached, also the head-piece. 
 When the reins are pulled, the width of the bit is 
 contracted like a snaffle, consequently the curb has 
 little or no effect ; unless it be exceedingly short, in 
 which case it maintains the bit in its contracted 
 form. In the former case, it has the effect of causing 
 horses to lean or hang on the bit ; in the latter, it 
 deadens the mouth from the fixed position in which 
 it is kept by the curb chain. Some Pelhams arei 
 made without any joint in the mouth-piece, which is 
 either straight or has a port. These are less ob- 
 jectionable than the first named ; they operate like a 
 curb, and, although there is a snaffle rein fastened to 
 rings parallel with the mouth-piece, the width from 
 cheek to cheek cannot be made sufficient to allow 
 of a change of position ; it does not act satisfactorily. 
 and thus the sensitive condition of the mouth is 
 impaired. 
 
 The curb bit when required should be apportioned 
 in its dimensions to the size of the animal, his style 
 of going, and the amount of power necessary to hold 
 him. This being, in point of fact, a lever, its effi- 
 cacy depends upon the length of that portion ofi 
 the cheek from the mouth-piece to the eye whereon 
 the head-piece is fixed, compared with the lower 
 branch which receives the reins. Thus, the shorter 
 the upper part the greater the leverage. A high 
 port likewise adds to the severity of the bit. As 
 an adjunct, a noseband is in many cases a very 
 useful companion to the bridle, especially for hun- 
 
BREAKING. 65 
 
 ters and hacks, many of which by opening their 
 jaws, and at the same time extending their heads, 
 relieve themselves from the principal power of what- 
 ever bridle may be made use of. A noseband buckled 
 sufficiently tight prevents this; at the same time, 
 unless placed unreasonably low, so as to press upon 
 the cartilaginous portion of the nostrils, it cannot 
 have the effect of interrupting respiration. The 
 ordinary noseband is simply a strap sufficiently long 
 to pass round the jaws, and is suspended either to 
 the head-piece of the bridle, or by an independent 
 arrangement, which latter is preferable. The ad- 
 vantages derived from this apparatus, have led to 
 the invention of varieties, which are unquestionably 
 adapted for certain horses; and one which, in my 
 opinion, is of great utility, is made by Mr. Heavens, 
 of South Molton Street. All these auxiliaries re- 
 quire hands, and some discrimination in adjusting 
 them, otherwise they are ineffective ; and such 
 things are often condemned as useless, because they 
 are not properly brought into action. 
 
 There are two essential objects to be consulted in 
 selecting bits for race-horses and hunters, — those in 
 which they will go most pleasantly, and, at the same 
 time, by which the greatest amount of their physical 
 powers can be obtained. If a bridle be put upon a 
 race-horse not sufficiently efficacious to enable the 
 jockey to hold him, the animal's powers are evidently 
 expended by an excess of pace. Again, if the bits 
 made use of are too severe, and the horse will not 
 face them, it causes him to go high and short in his 
 
 F 
 
66 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 stride, — as it is technically expressed, he "fights in 
 his action ; " and the powers of endurance are ex- 
 hausted from that cause. Similar considerations 
 apply to hunters, — with this distinction; that more 
 regard may be observed to the bridles in which they 
 ride most agreeably, than those which are only cal- 
 culated to call forth their utmost powers ; because, 
 in a race, a jockey will willingly submit to some 
 personal inconvenience to make the best use of his 
 horse, which few persons would carry to an extreme 
 in the hunting field. 
 
 The bridles which will be preferred for pleasure 
 horses, whether under the saddle or in harness, will, 
 doubtless, be those most conducive to a perfect com- 
 mand. It is desirable to try a variety of bridles on 
 horses, not merely for the purpose of discovering 
 which is most suitable, but a change has a good 
 effect. The casuist may exclaim against this, and 
 say, if you have found out the bridle in wdiich your 
 horse goes well, keep to that ; but such an argument, 
 however good it may be in theory, is not so in 
 practice. A change refreshes the animal's mouth ; 
 in other words, a different bridle bearing upon a 
 different part of the mouth, is a relief to the animal ; 
 and, even if he does not go quite so well in it, — 
 presuming that it is not calculated to produce any 
 permanent bad habit, — it is desirable to use the 
 change for a short period, and, upon returning to the 
 favourite bridle, the horse will very probably go 
 better in it than he had done previously. 
 
 For the purpose of exercise, snaffle bridles are 
 
BREAKING. 67 
 
 generally in use. Intrusted to the majority of 
 grooms or helpers, any other kind of bit would be 
 quite out of character. With hands as heavy as a 
 blacksmith's anvil, they would spoil the mouths of 
 the best tempered creatures in the world, if they 
 were to use anything else. The bits with which the 
 late Lord George Bentinck was accustomed to ride, 
 would be destructive to the mouths and tempers of 
 most horses, unless guided by a gentle touch ; and 
 in a general way, as servants are not ordered to go 
 when at exercise faster than a walk or trot of some 
 six or seven miles in the hour, a snaffle bridle answers 
 that purpose. When hunters require faster work, 
 which they do prior to the commencement of the 
 hunting season, a sportsman who studies his future 
 comfort and satisfaction, will prefer riding such 
 horses himself as are at all difficult to manage, 
 unless he has a competent groom, rather than allow 
 a mutton-fisted lout to render a really good animal 
 very unmanageable. Race-horses requiring curbs, 
 are generally ridden by boys who have had some 
 practice, and are, therefore, capable of using such 
 tackle; moreover, they are generally better horsemen 
 than those who are employed in hunting stables, as 
 strappers. 
 
68 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 STABLE DISCIPLINE. 
 
 Comments. — System. — Importance of minor Observances. — Ap- 
 plicable alike in Racing and Hunting Stables. — Advantages of 
 Regularity. — Time of commencing Stable-work. — Routine Duties. 
 — Preparing for Exercise. — Going to Exercise. — Dressing 
 after Exercise. — Feeding. — Afternoon Performances. — Washing 
 Hunters. — Two Helpers employed. — Quietude. 
 
 If the management of horses is not acknowledged to 
 be a science, at all events it is capable of being re- 
 duced to a system. In no occupation can it be more 
 necessary to lay down certain rules, and scrupulously 
 to attend to them, than in the direction of racing or 
 hunting establishments. However convenient the 
 construction of the buildings may be, however good 
 the horses may be which are the occupants of those 
 buildings, their powers can never be thoroughly de- 
 veloped without the strictest attention to their wants, 
 their propensities, and their constitutions. 
 
 The great importance connected with the internal 
 management of the stable, especially the operation 
 of dressing the horses, must be my apology for en- 
 tering here very minutely into details; and as the 
 observances in racing stables, with very few excep- 
 tions, resemble those of hunting establishments, it 
 is unnecessary to introduce many distinctions. Two 
 
STABLE DISCIPLINE. 69 
 
 important objects are accomplished by punctilious 
 observance of these minor events, — the comfort of 
 the animals, and the facility afforded of ascertaining 
 if any operation has been neglected. No boy or 
 helper can tell the precise moment when his superior 
 will enter the stable ; and as it is impossible for a 
 trainer, hunting groom, or other superintendent, to 
 be present and see each horse dressed, by strict ob- 
 servance of regularity, that is, of insisting that every 
 act is performed in due rotation, there can be no 
 difficulty in detecting any negligence or omission. 
 
 During the spring, the autumn, and the winter, 
 six o'clock in the morning is the regular hour for 
 commencing operations. When very hot weather 
 prevails in summer, an earlier time may be advisable 
 for the sake of getting race-horses through their 
 work while the atmosphere is cool; and in this variable 
 climate, throughout all seasons of the year, the time 
 of going to exercise must be occasionally controlled 
 by the elements. 
 
 The first duties to be performed when the stable 
 doors are opened will be, to rack each horse's head 
 up, throw their respective hoods over their loins, 
 wash out their mouths with three or four go-downs 
 of water, and present them each with a feed of corn, 
 taking care that the mangers are quite clean, and if 
 any hay be left of the past night's portion, that it be 
 gathered up and deposited in a conspicuous place to 
 be seen by the trainer, superintendent, or head lad, 
 when either may go round to inspect the horses. 
 The boys then proceed to gather up the dung into 
 
 F 3 
 
70 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 a basket, shake up the litter, and throw it into the 
 corners of the boxes, carefully selecting and removing 
 that which is wet and damaged ; the paving is then 
 swept quite clean, and a thin coat of litter spread 
 over it. The thighs and hocks of the horses are then 
 to be brushed over and wisped ; and should there 
 be any stains, they must be thoroughly eradicated, 
 and the hair laid smooth with a damp sponge. The 
 clothing in which they are to take their exercise 
 must then be put on, the quantity of which will be 
 regulated by the weather, and the work they are to 
 perform. If it be mild, and they are to gallop, the 
 quarter pieces, hoods, and breast clothes are suffi- 
 cient, unless it may be thought proper to throw 
 a rug over all, to be removed for the purpose of 
 galloping in the event of having to encounter cold, 
 bleak weather. When walking exercise only is to 
 be exacted, the rugs will be placed under the quarter 
 pieces, still consulting the weather as a guide. The 
 saddles being put on, and the girths drawn slack, to 
 be tightened before leaving the stables, the legs and 
 feet claim the next attention. Any dirt which may 
 be lodged between the shoes must be picked out, the 
 legs well brushed, a damp sponge drawn down them, 
 and finished with the rubber ; after which the boots 
 or bandages, if either are required, will be put on, 
 the mangers examined to ascertain if any corn be 
 left, in which case it must be removed when the 
 boys go to their breakfasts. 
 
 The morning meal being discussed, they return 
 to their duties, turn their horses' heads round, put on 
 
STABLE DISCIPLINE. 71 
 
 the bridles and hoods, and finally draw up the girths. 
 The trainer or head lad should then go round to 
 ascertain if everything is in proper order ; when the 
 boys are put up, and the horses kept walking in the 
 yard, or some convenient place, -till they are all 
 marshalled in their ranks, which is usually regulated 
 by age upon the maxim of seniores priores. The 
 head lad, if he be riding a horse in work, brings up 
 the rear, so that he may be able to detect any tricks 
 which either boys or horses may be tempted to prac- 
 tise ; or if he be riding a hack, he takes such a posi- 
 tion as to be able to see what is going on in front. 
 This, however, is an office which the trainer usually 
 reserves to himself. In this manner they proceed to 
 the exercise ground, where, having walked the ne- 
 cessary time, they take their canters, gallops, sweats, 
 or such work as their condition requires. On re- 
 turning to the stable, the hoods and bridles having 
 been removed, and the girths slackened, the horses 
 have their heads, necks, and manes brushed, well 
 wisped, and finished with a rubber, during which 
 process a lock of hay should be given ; the legs and 
 feet are then washed, observing that every particle 
 of grit and dirt is removed from the frogs, as also 
 between the web of the shoe and sole of the foot ; 
 the legs may either be bandaged or rubbed dry. To 
 prevent the necessity of keeping the animals stripped 
 longer than is absolutely necessary, if the weather be 
 cold, the clothing may be thrown forward for the pur- 
 pose of brushing the quarters, the inside of the thighs, 
 and the hocks: that being concluded, the water is 
 
 F 4 
 
72 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 given, and they are immediately stripped ; when they 
 should be dressed with vigour, at the same time 
 without violence or abuse, which to irritable, high- 
 couraged horses is very annoying ; often occasioning 
 them to break out, and very frequently causing 
 them to become vicious. Those which have thin, 
 delicate skins, can scarcely endure the friction of the 
 brush, unless it be a very soft one. The damp wisp 
 should be used freely to all. The operation of dress- 
 ing being concluded, and the clothing adjusted, the 
 legs are to be finished ; if they have been bandaged, 
 that apparatus is to be removed, and in either case 
 the legs require to be thoroughly brushed and hand- 
 rubbed. The feet next claim attention in the way 
 of stopping, and the occasional application of the tar 
 ointment. The succeeding ceremony is that of 
 feeding ; when those horses which consume their first 
 allowance with a good appetite, may have a similar 
 portion repeated. During the time they are feeding, 
 the boxes or stalls are set fair, and if any should 
 reject their corn, it is to be removed; after which 
 their hay is to be given, and the doors closed till five 
 o'clock, when the same routine of dressing, watering, 
 and feeding is renewed. At eight o'clock they are 
 fed again, have their portion of hay for the night, 
 and are then shut up. 
 
 This course of discipline is applicable alike to racing 
 and hunting stables ; but in the latter the custom of 
 washing the horses after they return from the chase 
 is very frequently adopted, and certainly, when 
 properly conducted, with good effect. It cleanses 
 
STABLE DISCIPLINE. 73 
 
 ie coat and skin more perfectly than any other 
 icans, and is much more expeditiously performed — a 
 reat desideratum, especially when the animals are 
 itigued. The necessity of a stall box, or conve- 
 ient apartment for the purpose, must be apparent, 
 i it would be very improper to wash horses in the 
 alls or boxes wherein they are to remain. To 
 srform this effectually, two helpers are necessary, 
 > that it may be done quickly. In fact, under any 
 rcumstances, there should always be two persons 
 nployed to dress each horse after hunting. Having 
 ashed the horses with warm water and soft soap, 
 othing more is requisite than to scrape them as dry 
 5 possible, and immediately cover them with a full 
 lit of clothing kept for the purpose ; at the same 
 me the legs must be bandaged ; thus they are con- 
 gned to their, usual stalls or boxes, and a bran 
 lash is given, half a bucket of linseed, oatmeal, or 
 our gruel having been offered before the process of 
 ashing commences, and during which a lock of hay 
 lould be placed within their reach. In the course 
 f an hour it will be found that all or nearly all the 
 loisture which could not be removed by scraping is 
 bsorbed in the clothing, which is then to be re- 
 loved ; they are then wisped over, which two men 
 ill perform in ten minutes, dry clothing substituted, 
 nd the legs attended to. They are fed, and shut 
 p for the night. 
 It is an object of considerable importance, both 
 ith race-horses and hunters, that they should not 
 e unnecessarily disturbed during the day-time be- 
 
74 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 tween stable hours ; that is, from the period win 
 the doors are closed after the morning's routine h 
 been performed, till the afternoon operations coi 
 me nee. Most trainers are very particular in tl 
 respect, and properly so ; neither is there any reas< 
 why the same practice should not be observed wi 
 hunters. After horses have been working hard, tfo 
 will, if undisturbed, generally lie down during t; 
 day ; and it is a wanton piece of thoughtlessness 
 interrupt them unnecessarily. With hunters it is 
 great object, after a severe chase, to restore the 
 from their fatigues as quickly as possible, whi 
 cannot be effected unless they are permitted to enj< 
 their repose. 
 
75 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 TRAINING AT TWO YEARS OLD. 
 
 iversity of Opinions. — Events which determine the Propriety of 
 early Eacing. — Overgrown Stock. — Undersized Stock. — Effects of 
 early Eacing on overgrown Colts. — Distinction between the Work 
 necessary for present and future Engagements. — Large Horses 
 require much Time for Training. — Reasons why small Horses are 
 capable of running at an earlier Age than large Ones. — Weedy 
 Stock. — Consequences of Procrastination. — Opinions formed from 
 extreme Cases. — Circumstances calculated to determine the Pro- 
 priety of running at Two Years old. — Action. — Change of Action. 
 — Causes thereof. — Action in some Cases restored by Rest. — 
 Management of a Candidate for a forthcoming Derby. — Moderate 
 Work recommended at Two Years old. — Paramount Object. — 
 Betting Adventures. — Comparison of Work between young and 
 old Horses and between Boys and Men. — Customs of Trainers. — 
 State of young Stock. — Their Nutrition, Growth, and Work con- 
 sidered. — Reference to the " Stud Farm." — Time when Yearlings 
 should become Inmates of the Training Stables. — Gradual Pre- 
 paration. — Increase of Work. — Successful Treatment in certain 
 Stables. — Owners of Horses. — Patronage. — Two Years Old 
 Stakes. 
 
 'he treatment of horses at the tender age of two 
 ears is a subject which has produced much diversity 
 f opinion. The chief points to be kept in view are 
 le effects which early training for the purpose of 
 icing has upon young animals, distinguishing be- 
 >veen that kind of preparation necessary for imme- 
 iate appearance in public, and that which is re- 
 
76 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 quired for future engagements. The inducemen 
 held forth by the existing customs of the turf in tl I 
 value of stakes open for competition by two yea 
 old stock, and the desire to ascertain as early i 
 possible the relative qualites and action of every ii 
 dividual, are ostensible motives. 
 
 The growth and proportions of particular anima 
 are points not to be overlooked. A large overgrow ' 
 colt, with long striding action, is certainly not tl| 
 kind to be selected for racing at an early age ; indee I 
 they are sometimes not fit at three years old. Mai I 
 such creatures have been brought out and condemn* 
 at that early age, — perchance, have not gained respe 
 the succeeding year, — but after attaining greater m 
 turity have become superior horses. On the oth I 
 hand, small, symmetrically formed juveniles, wi 
 quick action, have attained high honours at two yea 
 old, but could never accomplish any great fe 
 afterwards. With respect to the first descriptio 
 the opponents of early training will urge, that if tl 
 animals had not been worked so soon, they wou 
 have evinced greater superiority when more advance 
 in years. That, however, depends entirely upon tl 
 treatment which they receive. If large, weakl; 
 loose-made colts, while they are rapidly growin: 
 undergo strong preparations, no doubt the effects wi 
 have prejudicial influences upon their constitutioi 
 and their limbs. The texture of their muscles, sinew 
 and bones not being sufficiently matured, the weake 
 parts fail ; but it does not follow that because they ai 
 inmates of the training stables, they must be prepare 
 
TEAINING AT TWO YEAES OLD. 77 
 
 i race, or that they should be subjected to a greater 
 ] oportion of work than is'conducive to their welfare, 
 'here is a marked distinction between the ordeal re- 
 uired for immediate racing, and that which promotes 
 *e capabilities of enduring future preparations. 
 
 Of all kinds of horses, such as those now alluded 
 ij require the most time to get them quite up to 
 ije mark ; and although it may not be prudent to 
 in them, it is quite necessary to keep them in 
 intle work. "With those which are undersized, the 
 i.ducements to run them at an early age are more 
 fear; they are better able to bear the prepara- 
 ipn, because they are in a more forward state of ina- 
 nity ; their natural powers being more concentrated, 
 ley are mechanically or comparatively stronger. In 
 iis class I do not mean to include little, worthless, 
 eedy creatures, that are not worth training at any 
 ::e, but the small, well-shaped ones whose muscular 
 pwers have assumed a precocious development. If 
 ie opportunity of winning with them be deferred, 
 le chances may be very problematical at a future 
 ;;riod. These two extremes have led many persons 
 I the conclusion that early racing is the bane of 
 ;mng stock ; with respect to overgrown colts it is 
 inerally correct, with the undersized ones it is 
 jmbtful. 
 
 The object with every owner of race-horses is un- 
 'festionably to make the best and most profitable use 
 •| the stud; therefore, the respective properties of each 
 aimal must guide the determination, whether they 
 ,ould run at two years old or not. Similar arguments 
 
78 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 will apply to those of intermediate size ; the propriet 
 of running them will depend very considerably upo 
 their constitutions. Young horses are reared wit 
 so much attention to the early development of the: 
 powers, and the system has been so much improve 
 upon within the last forty years, that the two ye? 
 olds are quite as capable of running three quartei 
 of a mile in August and September as the three jet 
 olds of former days were to run their accustome 
 distances, and the juveniles are quite as able to be? I 
 their preparations. 
 
 It is a subject of some importance to ascertail 
 the style of going of young stock, as well as to forj I 
 some opinion of their racing properties as early i 
 possible, and for this purpose it is very common 1 i 
 prepare and try them as yearlings, but it is not 
 very satisfactory probation. Many will alter in the | 
 action very materially when put to work ; some wi | 
 improve, others will deteriorate; but it may tl 
 relied upon as an almost invariable criterion, that 
 bad goer at two years old will never make a supi 
 rior race-horse. Disproportioned limbs or natur; \ 
 weakness in some parts, either from accident or n; 
 tural imperfections, are the usual causes of baf 
 action, and it is very seldom they are overcom« 
 There are many with action sufficiently good to pas i 
 muster, with whom it will go off for a time, whe 
 they again recover it. This must be ascribed t 
 indisposition, or too much work ; when the faculty : | 
 restored by rest. 
 
 If I were fortunate enough to possess a very pre 
 
TRAINING AT TWO YEARS OLD. 79 
 
 ifsing colt engaged in a Deri))', I should certainly 
 
 jefer bringing him out once or twice at two years 
 
 d, providing he would bear a preparation which 
 
 aould be moderate, if it were only for the purpose of 
 
 [customing him to appear in public;. but I would 
 
 lit work him severely, although his chance of win- 
 
 g might be lessened by the indulgence. In such 
 
 ase I should consider the object of securing the 
 
 e ribbon of the turf as paramount, without any 
 
 jference to the position the colt might occupy in the 
 
 Itting, consequent upon his winning his tw T o years 
 
 [(] engagements. 
 
 i There is as much impropriety in giving young 
 i imals an amount of work they cannot be expected 
 t bear, as there is in allowing them to be absolutely 
 ie. It is equally unreasonable to suppose that colts 
 (ly two years old should endure the same labour as 
 I Dse a year older, as it is to expect a boy at fifteen 
 cm undergo as much fatigue as a man at five-and- 
 tfenty ; supposing of course that the respective sub- 
 lets are each of them in health, and endowed with 
 teir ordinary faculties. The treatment of yearlings 
 Is already been noticed in the " Stud Farm," that is, 
 Ip. the time arrives when the training stables become 
 Je most appropriate asylums for them, which ought 
 |t to be postponed later than the month of July or 
 iigust. They will then be brought imperceptibly 
 l|rough the finishing process of tuition, and become 
 [iadually prepared for such work as their constitu- 
 )ns can safely bear, and their engagements require, 
 ie period of the year when it is intended they 
 
80 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 should make their debut in public, conjoined wit 
 their respective constitutions, must regulate the tire 
 when it becomes necessary that their work should I 
 increased ; but it should be borne in mind that tr 
 hardiest, most robust, and powerful require tl 
 longest and strongest preparation. Some traine: 
 insist upon the necessity of sweating the youngste: 
 under heavy clothing, and of going nearly or quii 
 the same distances as older horses. Others thei 
 are w r ho never sweat them at all. If one of tl 
 two extremes be imperative, the latter appears 1 
 be the most rational ; but the constitution and coi 
 dition of every individual is the safest and best guid 
 An over-abundance of fat is a great hindrance 1 
 commence with, for it must be reduced ; and if that t 
 effected prematurely, in all probability it w T ill be doi 
 at the expense of some important faculty. Your 
 creatures in that state can scarcely be expected to be: 
 work sufficient to enable them to run without injui 
 to their legs or constitutions, unless a great length i 
 time is allowed for the gradual reduction. It mu 
 be remembered they are at this period in a growir 
 state, when nature requires a certain portion of nutr 
 tion to support increase of bulk, and to develc 
 various functions ; if, therefore, animals are deprive 
 of that nourishment by excessive labour, debilit 
 and emaciation succeed, the consequences of whic 
 may probably never be overcome. 
 
 Some few owners of race-horses have been for 
 series of years particularly successful with the 
 young stock ; and although I do not consider myse 
 
TRAINING AT TWO YEARS OLD. 81 
 
 at liberty to specify the stables to which I allude, I 
 know the treatment adopted in them has been similar 
 to that which I have recommended. 
 
 There is yet another circumstance worthy of 
 notice. Unless gentlemen who breed and train horses 
 considered such engagements conducive to their inte- 
 rests, they would not subscribe the large sums they 
 frequently do to stakes for colts and fillies at two 
 years old, more especially when it is remembered 
 that the attraction in the addition of public money 
 is not generally offered in an equal ratio as it is to 
 stakes for older horses. The economy and policy of 
 such matters are determined by the proprietors of 
 horses ; hence, whatever views may be held by per- 
 sons who are merely lookers on, must be erroneous 
 if opposed to practice. 
 
82 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 FIRST AND SECOND PREPARATIONS. 
 
 Physic. — Indications. — Cooling Lotions. — The Tendons. — The 
 Hocks. — Concussion. — Over-exertion, its Effects. — Rest. — 
 Diuretics. — Increase of Work. — Trainer's or Groom's Judgment. 
 — Objects to be gained. — Healthy State of the Blood. — Disorders 
 produced. — Faculties of Animals. — Increased Power of sustaining 
 Work. — Duration of daily Exercise. — First Preparation con- * 
 nected with Breaking. — Period required. — Circumstances which 
 denote the Necessity of Physic. — Distinction between First and I 
 Second Preparations. — Sweating. — All Horses cannot bear the 
 same Quantity of Exercise. — Trials. 
 
 When the colt has completed his education suf- 
 ficiently to justify his being put into gentle work, it 
 will generally be advisable to give him a couple oi 
 doses of physic. A variety of circumstances may 
 occur to indicate the propriety of this course. Slight 
 effusions in the legs, in consequence of the indolent 
 state of the absorbent vessels connected with those 
 parts, also heat more or less about the fetlock joints 
 and hocks, will be the most prevailing symptoms, 
 which should be minutely investigated. It may, in 
 many cases, be prudent to apply a cooling lotion to 
 some of the joints. Numerous curbs are thrown out, 
 and inflammation in the sheath of the tendons, natu- 
 rally predisposed to relaxation, terminates in incurable 
 lameness, by hurrying young horses in their work, 
 
FIRST AND SECOND PREPARATIONS. 83 
 
 which physic, and a week or two of rest, would cor- 
 rect. Nothing can be more injudicious than working 
 a horse when incipient inflammation is detected in 
 the hocks. On its first appearance it may be only 
 seated in the secreting vessels, but, 'if neglected, it 
 extends to the arterial and venous circulation, from 
 which it is sympathetically communicated to the 
 sinews, about which a deposit ensues, and their action 
 is thereby impeded. There is an impression that 
 work will rouse the absorbent vessels, and thus reduce 
 the enlargement ; but this is an experiment too ha- 
 zardous to be justified. 
 
 The fore legs are subject to similar affections, 
 with the additional inconvenience arising from con- 
 cussion, which alone will not only produce this dis- 
 ordered state of the limbs, but is certain, if the 
 animal be worked, to maintain the inflammatory 
 condition where it has once commenced. It must 
 be borne in mind that these evils had their origin 
 from an amount of exertion beyond what the frame 
 was capable of sustaining: this is more frequently 
 the case with young than aged horses; and it is 
 irrational to conceive that the event which caused 
 the malady, should restore the parts to their natural 
 state, and effect a cure. Without temporary rest 
 nothing can avail, and that should be assisted with 
 gentle doses of physic by way of alteratives. 
 
 Diuretics, very sparingly and judiciously admi- 
 nistered, will frequently promote a cure; but the 
 utmost caution is necessary not to exhibit strong 
 doses, or persist in their continuance during any 
 
 G 2 
 
84 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 length of time, lest the coats of the stomach be in- 
 curably injured. 
 
 After having put a horse to moderate exercise, if 
 no unfavourable symptoms occur, his work may be 
 gradually increased. In this the discretion and judg- 
 ment of the trainer or groom will proclaim much of 
 his capacity and knowledge of his business. An 
 inexperienced, headstrong person will force his charge 
 through work when totally unfit to endure it, and 
 probably by so doing ruin the animal for ever. A 
 juvenile trainer with a Pharmacopoeia of nostrums is 
 the most dangerous character that can be engaged to 
 direct the management of horses : he will always be 
 trying, at the same time that he is giving them work, 
 to patch up defects, which nothing but rest, and 
 simple cooling remedies, can effect. 
 
 The principal objects to be gained by the first pre- 
 paration, — whether it be a young animal that never 
 has been trained, or one of more mature age, which 
 from accident, or some other cause, has been thrown 
 out of work, — are to accustom the limbs to exertion 
 by such moderate and almost imperceptible degrees as 
 they are capable of bearing without injury, and tc 
 bring the blood to such a state of perfection, that the 
 circulation may be free, vigorous, and healthy. Wher 
 it is remarked that the respiratory organs are in s 
 great measure influenced by the state of the blood 
 that the renewal of the muscular system is derivec 
 entirely from the blood, it seems scarcely necessary 
 to urge any other reasons as to the importance of th< 
 strictest attention to its healthy state. During '< 
 
FIRST AND SECOND PREPARATIONS. OO 
 
 protracted period of inactivity, and most especially 
 with good and nourishing food, the blood acquires a 
 plethoric condition, in which state it is quite unfit to 
 pass through the various channels when excited by 
 rapid motion. This is readily distinguished by the 
 excessive action of the lungs ; and thus inflammation 
 of those delicate and important organs, ruptured 
 blood-vessels, swelled legs, colds, inflamed eyes, and 
 other serious affections, have their origin, if the 
 animal is caused to undergo exertions without a 
 rational preparation. It is by gradually increasing 
 the amount of labour conformably with the capabili- 
 ties of his constitution, and the power of his limbs, 
 that we may reasonably expect to obtain the maxi- 
 mum of a horse's physical force and endurance. 
 
 In regulating the work which a horse should per- 
 form, circumstances must be our guide. From one 
 to two hours' walking exercise daily, and a canter 
 of half a mile, occasionally increased to a mile, twice 
 or three times a week, is as much as some light-con- 
 stitutioned, weakly creatures can conveniently bear; 
 while those which are robust and hardy will advan- 
 tageously accomplish three hours' walking exercise, 
 and a canter approximating to half speed every day. 
 At this crisis an opinion may be formed of the 
 temper and constitution which will materially guide 
 future operations. 
 
 The first preparation of young stock includes a 
 certain proportion of the process of breaking. It 
 is a step of advancement in the life of the animal, 
 and the duration of this preliminary ordeal will in a 
 
 G 3 
 
86 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 great measure be determined by the progress that has 
 heretofore been made in his education. In general, 
 unless some accident intervenes, from six to eight 
 weeks will be the average term ; when arrangements 
 are made for the second preparation, prior to which 
 two doses more of mild physic are usually necessary. 
 I make use of the term usually, in distinction to 
 that of invariably, as there may be instances in which 
 it is not only unnecessary but injudicious to give 
 physic, as it would be prejudicial to the promotion of 
 condition. If the animal be already too light of 
 flesh, of a weakly constitution, and free from all in- 
 dications bespeaking the necessity for medicine, I 
 should by no means recommend it. 
 
 The difference between the first and second pre- 
 paration consists in the quantity of work, and the 
 manner of giving it. The process of sweating is now 
 generally introduced ; a subject which will be found 
 discussed in a separate chapter. In this place it is 
 only necessary to observe with reference to that ope- 
 ration, that the pace should be moderate, and the 
 distance conformable to the strength and state of the 
 subject ; three miles, or three miles and a half, is 
 quite enough for the first essay. 
 
 One of the errors that may be occasionally noticed 
 in training stables, is that of all the horses being 
 kept out the same length of time, arising often from 
 the fact, that it is not safe to trust boys to take home 
 their horses by themselves, or to dress them till the 
 trainer or head lad can return ; but as some horses 
 require much more exercise than their companions, 
 
FIRST AND SECOND PREPARATIONS. 87 
 
 and particular horses more on some clays than others, 
 it is highly important that such arrangements be 
 made as will permit the practice of apportioning each 
 animal's work to his temporary capabilities rather 
 than make the duration of exercise- subservient to 
 personal convenience. 
 
 Towards the conclusion of the second preparation 
 it may be considered advisable to give young horses 
 something of a trial, or, as it is technically called, " a 
 spin." Two motives present themselves for this sug- 
 gestion, the one being to ascertain something of their 
 pretensions to favour, and the other to teach them 
 something of racing. Whether they be tried or 
 not, they should be occasionally accustomed to work 
 stripped, in order that they may not be alarmed 
 when running divested of their clothing. 
 
 G 4 
 
88 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 FINAL PREPARATION. 
 
 Work to be regulated by Circumstances. — Symptoms denoting the 
 requisite Quantity of Work. — When insufficient. — When pro- 
 perly apportioned. — When too severe. — Venial Error. — Com- 
 parison between old and young Horses. — Daily Exercise. — 
 Walking. — State of the Evacuation's. — Irritability of the Bowels. 
 
 — Sometimes produced by Cold. — Remedy. — Cantering. — Po- 
 sition for the Trainer. — Examination after pulling up. — r To be 
 brought Home cool, but not suffered to become chilled.— Time , 
 when the strongest Work is recommended. — Sweats preferable to 
 rattling Gallops. — Notes of Preparation. — The final Gallop.— 
 Indications of Pitness to run.— Treatment on the Day prior to run- 
 ning. — Necessary Examinations. — The Muzzle. — Alternatives 
 with irritable Horses. — Examples. — Quietude of Stables desirable. 
 
 — Treatment on the Morning of running. — Leading out. — Treat- 
 ment on returning. — Exercise distinguished from Work. — Cir- ! 
 cumstances under which Exercise is proper. — Difference of Con- 
 stitution. — Stout, muscular Horses. — Delicate Horses. — Every 
 Horse has his Distance. — Hunters. — Exercise during the Hunting 
 Season. — Analogy between Hunters and Race-horses. — Steeple- 
 chase Horses. 
 
 The exact amount of work that a race-horse requires 
 to enable him to run, or that will qualify a hunter to 
 follow hounds, varies so considerably in different 
 subjects that it is impossible to state precisely what 
 may be necessary. The only alternative, in this 
 case, is to explain the symptoms which indicate the 
 necessity for extra work, those which proclaim that 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 89 
 
 the animal is going on satisfactorily, and the appear- 
 ances which claim indulgence. To regulate the nice 
 point — the maximum proportion of exercise a horse 
 can bear, so that he will come to the post in the 
 best possible condition — requires great attention on 
 the part of the trainer ; it is one of his most difficult 
 and important duties. At the same time no man 
 ought to be disheartened in the attempt, if he will 
 only call to his aid, assiduity, observation, and com- 
 mon sense. 
 
 In the chapter on Sweating, the reasons for adopt- 
 ing that process, and the effects produced on the 
 horse, are fully explained. I will now confine my- 
 self to those symptoms to which the trainer's atten- 
 tion must be particularly directed. A horse whose 
 work has been insufficient will give evidence in the 
 action of the lungs ; when pulled up after a moderate 
 gallop, his flanks will heave with considerable vio- 
 lence, and it will be some time before they regain 
 their ordinary quietude. This must not, however, 
 be mistaken or confounded with any affection arising 
 from cold, roaring, or temporary indisposition imme- 
 diately connected with the respiratory organs. The 
 quantity and appearance of the perspiration will 
 afford a very significant criterion ; when too copious, 
 and of a soapy character, it proclaims the existence 
 of a superabundance of fat and an inspissated condition 
 of the blood. The eyes, after a strong gallop or 
 sweat, will sometimes exhibit more than an ordinary 
 degree of redness, or fulness of the blood-vessels. The 
 ribs also give proof of the presence of too much fat ; 
 
90 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the animal generally looks too lusty without a suffi- 
 cient development of muscle, and with his daily 
 exercise he appears to be gaining more fat than 
 muscle. A few additional sweats, judiciously managed, 
 will in general produce the desired results. 
 
 When the work is duly commensurate with the 
 constitution, the lungs will act with freedom, and 
 very soon after the horse has performed his gallop 
 the flanks will recover their usual regularity oi 
 action. The perspiration flows freely, is clear, and 
 quickly dries after exertion without leaving a quan- 
 tity of frothy stains. The eyes, although showing a 
 greater degree of redness after sweating than wher 
 the circulation of the blood is not excited, do noil 
 exhibit that extreme fulness of blood previously 
 noticed. The nostrils, which will become distendec 
 by a smart gallop, are soon restored to their natura 
 condition after the horse has been pulled up. Wher 
 the hand is passed along the ribs they should fee 
 firm, clean to the touch, free from adipose deposit ; 
 their bareness will, however, depend much upon the 
 make of the animal, and, to a certain degree, upor 
 the length of time he has been in work. The coal 
 should feel silky, and possess a blooming, glossy 
 appearance, than which there is not a more expressive 
 criterion of health; for it may be regarded as a 
 general principle, that so long as a horse looks parti- 
 cularly brilliant in his skin there cannot be any 
 constitutional infirmity. He will, under favourable 
 circumstances, increase in muscular development, his 
 
FINAL PEEPARATION. 91 
 
 ction will be free and elastic, and Ills appetite good. 
 
 f, with all these happy indications, the legs are cool 
 and the sinews clearly defined, with the feet in good 
 order, he may be pronounced as advancing towards 
 i fit state to contend for an approaching Derby. 
 
 In the event of too much work having been exacted, 
 the lungs will not unfrequently exhibit a similar 
 condition to that noticed when the exercise has been 
 insufficient, but proceeding from a different cause. 
 In this case a debilitated condition of the system calls 
 forth greater efforts to perform the ordinary share of 
 labour, and the lungs are distressed from the effects of 
 exhaustion. The perspiration will flow too profusely ; 
 it times the horse will break out from exhaustion and 
 a deficiency of oxygen in the atmosphere of the stable, 
 which, under these circumstances, the animal requires 
 in greater quantities than usual. The appetite will 
 fail, and the sufferer will give unequivocal tokens 
 of weakness, emaciation, lowness of spirits, and loss of 
 flesh ; the digestive organs being impaired, the eva- 
 cuations will often become relaxed, and much food 
 will be thrown off in an undigested state. The coat 
 sometimes assumes a hollow appearance, and feels 
 chilly even in warm weather, and will look dull, 
 arising possibly from the effects of slight fever 
 brought on by exhaustion. The legs will most 
 probably fill from want of energy in the absorbents 
 or venous circulation. An attentive observer will 
 readily detect any of these symptoms, and vary the 
 work according to circumstances. Apart from illness, 
 
92 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 which may have caused the horse to be incapable o 
 bearing his accustomed exercise, the remedy wil 
 usually be obtained by indulgence ; this, however, i 
 is highly important to investigate. Should the ina 
 bility to bear the work have arisen from a sligh 
 cold or any other disorder in its incipient state, tha 
 indisposition must be attended to, and the exercia 
 regulated accordingly. It must also be observe< 
 that the work may have occasioned some irregularity 
 of the system which must be relieved, according t< 
 the symptoms, before any amendment can be reason 
 ably expected. 
 
 In these delicate cases the most careful and expe 
 rienced person may occasionally be led into error : w 
 cannot always tell where to draw the line — in othe 
 words, when to stop ; but, over-anxious to improv 
 the power of the horse beyond what nature ha 
 limited to our use, we give him one extra gallop, o 
 one more sweat, and in doing so the bow, whic 
 has already been strung to its utmost pitch, snap 
 asunder, and the anticipations, hopes, and fears whic 
 have occupied us for months, are frustrated in 
 moment. Physic will, in most cases, be prope 
 between the intervals of the second and final pre 
 paration ; but that, as in most other cases, must b 
 indicated by circumstances mentioned in other pages 
 
 Young horses will not generally require so mud 
 work as older ones, although some of the former tak 
 a great deal ; and there are instances when the latte 
 can, comparatively, bear but little, and thus eacl 
 will want nearly a similar portion. Three hour 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 93 
 
 laily is the usual term for exercise when horses are 
 in strong work. During the first half hour the pre- 
 vailing custom is to give them walking exercise, 
 unless the morning be chilly, when it is deemed ex- 
 pedient to let them trot for the purpose of increasing 
 the circulation — a practice which has other recom- 
 mendations ; for it has the effect of bringing muscles 
 into action which are not employed in the other 
 paces ; and in the event of their being used at some 
 future time as riding horses, it accustoms them to a 
 Style of action that will be required of them. 
 
 There is not any indication of health more neces- 
 sary of observation than the state of the bowels. 
 The fasces of each horse should be examined before 
 leaving the stable ; and again when at exercise, es- 
 pecially during the first half hour. If they be 
 thrown off at first covered with a slimy mucus, and 
 if after the horse has been walking some time they 
 become relaxed, as if physic had been administered, 
 there is not a more unequivocal sign of irritation of 
 the bowels, which, under injudicious management, 
 may very probably proceed to inflammation or other 
 dangerous results. When such symptoms appear, 
 very little if any thing more than walking exercise is 
 prudent; and it may be necessary to resort to a 
 mild dose of physic ; when, if that does not remove 
 'the evil, the assistance of professional skill is ad- 
 Ivisable, as it is evident the system must be in a 
 disordered state. The influence of cold will not 
 lunfrequently produce the above-mentioned symptoms, 
 under which the bowels are very susceptible of in- 
 
94 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 Hammation upon even very slight exertion. A re- 
 laxed condition of the bowels is frequently ascribec 
 to nervous irritability. Without attempting to clenj 
 that such is the temperament of some horses, ] 
 cannot refrain from observing that it more generally 
 arises from a disordered state of the system. If i 
 proceeds from nervous excitement, it is very certair 
 the animal must, at some period or other, have expe 
 rienced a severe ordeal, the reminiscences of whicl 
 alarm him when he finds preparations are making 
 similar to those preceding the event which occasione( 
 his distress. In such cases, the utmost degree o 
 tenderness and care is requisite, if possible, to recon 
 cile the affrighted creature, and avoid, as much as cai 
 be done, any act that may call to his remembranc 
 the origin of the evil. Old horses that have under 
 gone severe preparations, and have run distressing 
 races, are most susceptible of these consequences 
 Some hunters are equally excitable. These symptom 
 of relaxation sometimes occur from the use of nev 
 oats or hay ; but it can scarcely be imagined sucl 
 provender ever finds admission into a well-conducte( 
 racino; or hunting establishment. 
 
 Having considered these subjects, and the hal 
 hour devoted to walking exercise having elapsed 
 preparations for a canter ensue. Should any hors< 
 have given signs that it will not be prudent to re- 
 quire from him more than walking exercise, order; 
 must be given to the boy who rides him to leave the 
 string, and walk in the most retired, quiet place thai 
 can be found. Or it may be desirable the horse 
 
FINAL PEEPARATION. 95 
 
 should have one canter only, and after that move off, 
 iway from the others. When the number of horses 
 is considerable, it is most advisable to work them in 
 classes, associating those whose paces are nearest upon 
 m equality ; this must, of course, be determined by 
 circumstances. After the first canter of about half 
 i mile, another half hour's walking exercise should 
 .ntervene, when they are to take another canter or a 
 gallop, which must be determined by the judgment 
 )f the person who officiates as commanding officer. 
 To state, in print, how many canters or how many 
 gallops horses will require, is an utter impossibility ; 
 .t must be regulated by those events which a person 
 present can alone decide. Horses vary from day to 
 day ; and for any that do not feed well, much gallop- 
 ing must be improper — yet three or four steady 
 :anters may do them good. 
 
 At the time the horses are cantering or galloping, 
 in order to observe the action of each horse, it is 
 needful for the trainer to place himself in such a 
 position that he can command a view of them, if 
 possible, throughout the whole distance, but especially 
 die latter portion of the gallop, by which he will be 
 3nabled, by signals mutually understood by the boys, 
 ;o regulate the pace; and, likewise, being near at 
 hand when they pull up, will be able to detect any 
 ameness as they fall into the trot, — a custom which 
 should be invariably practised. When they have 
 stood still a few minutes, much information may be 
 gleaned by a careful investigation whether any horse 
 vppears more or less than usually distressed. 
 
96 STABLE PEACTICE. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to say that every horse 
 should be perfectly cool before he is taken into the 
 stable ; at the same time, he must not be suffered tc 
 become chilled. As much care is necessary to allow 
 the circulation to subside gradually, as in not exciting 
 it too violently at first. On this account a steadj 
 canter, as a finale to the morning's exercise, musl 
 always be advocated. 
 
 With the generality of horses, I consider it th< 
 safest and most judicious plan to give them thei 
 strongest work ten days or a fortnight previously t< 
 the time of their running, especially with youn< 
 ones. It is a custom adopted by some of our mos 
 experienced trainers, yet there are others who wor] j 
 them severely up to the day. By this recommenda 
 tion I do not mean to advise the interval of tim 
 just named to be devoted to idleness, or such in 
 dulgence as may be calculated to permit the subjec 
 to accumulate internal fat, which may be prevente 
 by gentle sweats ; but I would avoid rattling gallops 
 which are liable to produce staleness, and subdue th 
 spirits, infinitely more than properly regulated sweats 
 It must be remembered, that on the day prior t 
 a race, the horse has to undergo several little pr€ 
 liminary forms. Fasting, or, as it is technical!] 
 styled, setting, is not the least significant ; and horse 
 frequently accustomed to it recognise it as a note c 
 preparation, in some instances so decidedly as t 
 render it a performance "more honoured in the breac 
 than the observance." 
 
 Whether a horse should take his last gallop on th 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 97 
 
 day prior to his race, or on the morning previous to 
 that, should be decided by his health, constitution, 
 and temper. In general, the latter period is to be 
 preferred. The principal object of the final gallop is 
 to keep the respiratory organs and * the muscles in 
 their utmost state of activity. They must have been 
 brought into this condition beforehand ; if they are 
 in good order on Monday they will not lose their 
 tone on Wednesday, more particularly when the ani- 
 mal is restricted in the allowance of hay and water, 
 unless some indisposition should unfortunately inter- 
 vene. But we will assume that the race takes 
 place on Wednesday, and it is decided, from the 
 plethoric condition of the horse, to be absolutely 
 necessary to sweat him on the Sunday; he will, in 
 the usual routine, walk on Monday, and require a 
 gallop on Tuesday ; however, there are few cases 
 where such a severe ordeal can be recommended. 
 Calculating, therefore, that he sweats on Friday 
 or Saturday, a good steady gallop on Monday will 
 usually be found the best practice. Gross, indolent 
 horses require sweating nearer to the day of run- 
 ning than light-fleshed and irritable ones; indeed, 
 if a horse is found to accumulate flesh, which some 
 ido very quickly, whilst others will fall away, it may 
 •be necessary to sweat the day but one before run- 
 ning. A gentle sweat, properly conducted, only one 
 clear day before a race, is the means of brino-ino- 
 many horses fresher and lighter to the post than an 
 3xtra share of galloping. The great art at this 
 prisis is to have a horse light in himself, full of 
 H 
 
98 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 muscle, fresh on his legs, and his courage unsubdued 
 by unnecessary fatigue. Having declared this, and 
 pointed out the way in which it is to be accomplished, 
 under various circumstances, the discretion of the 
 trainer must be exercised to determine the course 
 most advantageous to his horse. 
 
 After the exercise, on the day prior to that of 
 running, a reduction in the usual quantity of hay 
 and water takes place. From thirty-five to forty 
 go-downs of water should be the limit, unless an 
 uncommon degree of thirst prevails. A double- 
 handful of hay will be sufficient when the horse is 
 shut up, but the allowance of corn will not vary 
 from the accustomed proportions. At evening stable 
 time from twenty-three to twenty-five go-downs of 
 water is the extent of fluid to be given ; and after 
 the last feed of corn has been consumed, a very 
 small portion of hay can be allowed, the general 
 appearance and fulness of the body being the prin- 
 cipal guide. An examination of the horse should not 
 be omitted at this period, by feeling the pulse, and 
 noticing the pulsations of the heart ; also the state 
 of the mouth, the appearance of the eyes, and the 
 condition of the legs. The calm working of th( 
 flanks will indicate the action of the lungs, unless 
 some particular cause of excitement exists, — whicl 
 may readily be distinguished, because under thos( 
 circumstances the horses will usually break out, oi 
 sweat more or less. Any unfavourable symptom! 
 existing, such courses must be adopted as are mos' 
 likely to alleviate them. Similar examinations shouk 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 99 
 
 be minutely observed after strong gallops and 
 sweats. 
 
 As it is necessary to diminish the quantity of hay 
 when the time for running approaches, that precau- 
 tion would be unavailing, in the majority of cases, 
 without the aid of the settinsr-muzzle. Much 
 mystery w T as associated with this ceremony in former 
 days, and it was supposed that a very select few 
 were adepts in this art. It was almost considered 
 an act of necromancy, and that such persons only 
 as were gifted with the profound secret could de- 
 termine the precise moment when the performance 
 of adjusting the muzzle would operate as a charm 
 and insure the victory. Apart from all notions bor- 
 dering on superstition, a very few words will suffice 
 to expose the absurdity of such nonsense as the sup- 
 position that any difference could be made in a horse's 
 powers by being set half an hour or an hour earlier 
 or later. In those days when this impression pre- 
 vailed it w T as not known to an hour or two at what 
 time a race would take place ; it is therefore ridicu- 
 lous to suppose that any man could calculate the 
 precise number of hours and minutes that should 
 transpire between the time a horse ought to be set 
 and that of the race taking place ; nevertheless there 
 are circumstances which regulate the propriety of 
 early setting, late setting, and, in some cases, of not 
 setting at all, which I will endeavour to explain. 
 
 The most rational guide as to the time when the 
 setting-muzzle should be put on with the generality 
 of horses, is as soon as they have consumed the little 
 H 2 
 
100 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 bit of hay given to them after the last feed of corn 
 on the evening preceding the race ; but horses of a 
 greedy disposition, who will distend themselves by 
 eating the litter from under them, may sometimes 
 require to have a muzzle on as soon as the morning 
 stable work is concluded. The use of this apparatus 
 is simply to prevent horses from eating their straw, 
 and therefore their individual propensities will on all 
 occasions influence the propriety of adopting it. To 
 say the least of it, it is an annoying appendage, and 
 therefore the less its aid is called into requisition the 
 better. Hence, so long as a horse has no inclina- 
 tion to consume more than the food which is given 
 to him, setting may be advantageously deferred till 
 his appetite induces him to transgress ; and thus an 
 early hour on the morning of the race, especially if 
 the engagement is fixed to come off late in the day, 
 is with many horses quite soon enough. Observation 
 is on these occasions a valuable monitor, because 
 horses differ so exceedingly in the powers of absti- 
 nence, — indeed as much so as in their tempers. It 
 frequently happens that horses have to run on two 
 consecutive days, or sometimes with one intervening, 
 and it is found that some run better on the second 
 than the first occasion ; again, there are others with 
 which that order will be reversed. In the first case, 
 one of the causes will arise from the fact that the 
 animal can run most advantageously when set very 
 sharp; in the latter, that so long an abstinence is 
 prejudicial. As a rule, it may be regarded that 
 hearty feeders require sharper setting than delicate 
 
FINAL TREPANATION. 101 
 
 ones ; but that is by no means invariably the case, be- 
 cause the digestion of the former being the strongest, 
 and usually the quickest, the food is got rid of, in 
 many instances, quite as rapidly as in others. That 
 the stomach and intestines should be free from an 
 unnecessary quantity of food is perfectly consistent 
 with reason ; but they must not be thoroughly empty, 
 and what little is contained should be of a nutritive 
 character. 
 
 In the foregoing cases it is presumed that the sub- 
 jects are of a perfectly placid temper, and that the 
 exhibition of the muzzle does not occasion alarm and 
 irritability, which with some horses it will do to a 
 very prejudicial extent. Some of those which have 
 frequently gone through this ordeal will break out 
 most profusely the moment they are aware of the 
 proceedings about to take place. To set them on 
 the over-night would entirely destroy every hope of 
 their running successfully. A little tact is necessary 
 with such creatures, and those things which indicate 
 the note of preparation must be carefully kept away. 
 The muzzle is with them the most prominent item ; 
 therefore wdien it is found to be repugnant to the 
 notions of these acute observers, other alternatives 
 must be adopted. In most cases these animals, being 
 irritable, are light feeders, and therefore restrictions 
 are not so urgent ; the expedient of not letting them 
 have fresh straw under them to tempt their appetites 
 may be resorted to with propriety, and they must be 
 kept with their heads racked up as much as possible. 
 An extra half hour or an hour's walking exercise on 
 
 II 3 
 
102 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the morning of running will assist in relieving them 
 of plenitude, and, in many instances, a canter may 
 be desirable. 
 
 With cunning old horses some variations in the 
 observances up to the last moment of going to the 
 post may be necessary so as to avoid excitement, but 
 the principles should be adhered to as nearly as pos- 
 sible. Different horses evince their caprices in 
 various ways ; some will be perfectly reconciled, un- 
 less a particular event takes place ; and others are so 
 sensitive as not to allow the most trivial circumstance 
 to escape their notice. I knew one horse, an animal 
 of repute, who could not endure having his mane 
 plaited ; and I had a mare in my own possession who 
 would calmly undergo every act of preparation but 
 that of being led on to the course : the moment she 
 found where she was going to she would break out 
 in a profuse sweat, and all chance of her beating 
 a donkey was at an end ; but by saddling her in the 
 stable, and leading her direct to the starting-post at 
 the precise moment, and without any preparatory 
 canter let her go, she would run respectably. 
 
 The noise and confusion in the vicinity of a race- 
 course on the eve of the day of running is most 
 especially calculated to disturb the repose of horsec 
 usually accustomed to the utmost quietude ; and aftei 
 a few repetitions, it is not surprising that it shoulc 
 operate as a warning of what is about to follow. 11 
 is therefore highly desirable to procure accommoda- 
 tion where the least possible disturbance exists. 
 The ceremonies of adjusting the plates and plait- 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 103 
 
 ing the manes are frequently performed on the after- 
 noon of the day before running with good effect, as 
 it avoids the necessity for disturbing the horses at 
 a period of time when quietude is important. This 
 may, however, be postponed till the- morning to suit 
 convenience. An early hour should be appointed for 
 going to stable on the day of running, when the 
 horses are only permitted to take a quantity of water 
 just sufficient to wash their mouths preparatory to a 
 feed of corn. They must then be walked out for an 
 hour, or more, according to circumstances, and when 
 brought back to the stables half a dozen go-downs 
 only of water can be sanctioned. After the usual 
 routine of dressing, they are fed again, but no more 
 hay is allowed ; the muzzle is adjusted, the stable 
 door closed, and they are suffered to lie down. About 
 three hours prior to the time appointed for their 
 respective races to come off they are once more 
 visited, their heads racked up, finally wisped over, and 
 a double handful of corn presented to them. About 
 an hour before the races come off is the usual time 
 for leading out, dependent in all cases upon whether 
 it may be necessary to leave the stable earlier, as in 
 the event of late setting, or such causes as may indi- 
 cate the propriety of additional time for evacuations. 
 The treatment to be observed on returning to the 
 stable after running, is precisely similar to that after 
 sweating. 
 
 Apart from what may be emphatically termed 
 work, there is a modification which should more 
 
 H 4 
 
104 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 strictly be denominated exercise, and, whether applied 
 to race-horses or hunters, ought to be understood as 
 signifying just that quantity of daily labour which 
 will keep them in health, and preserve the condition 
 to which they have been brought by judicious work 
 and training: — for example, during the first two or 
 three days following a race, horses seldom require 
 more than walking exercise. Much of a trainer's 
 attention and ability is put to the test to get horses 
 perfectly fit on the day of running ; but if those 
 horses have subsequent engagements near at hand, 
 his care and judgment are still required to keep his 
 charges in the same state. When horses are once 
 thoroughly prepared, that class of work which may 
 with propriety be termed exercise, with most animals 
 will be best adapted for the purpose. Some horses 
 are only up to the highest pitch of their excellence 
 when they are full of muscular development, others 
 only when they are very light in their appearance ; 
 and it may be regarded as a general, though by no 
 means an universal principle, that those which are 
 constitutionally disposed to carry an abundance of 
 muscle will perform best when they appear lusty to 
 the eye, and those which are constitutionally light, 
 when drawn fine. Here, however, it is necessary to 
 observe the great distinction between the indications 
 of muscle and the deceptive accumulation of external 
 fat. Animals which deposit a vast quantity of fat 
 internally, — that is about the region of the heart and 
 the lungs, such as are commonly described as thick 
 winded, — require to be sweated frequently with a vast 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 105 
 
 :leal of work on intermediate Clays. "With them a sweat 
 every fifth or sixth clay is necessary, and in some cases 
 it is desirable to sweat them within three days of their 
 running. The great difficulty is in giving them the 
 necessary amount of work without injuring their legs ; 
 especially if the ground be hard. For this reason it 
 is better to sweat them frequently at a very steady 
 pace, than encounter the great risk of breaking them 
 down by repeated rattling gallops. As a contrast to 
 these are light delicate creatures, generally mares, 
 that can scarcely ever bear to be sweated ; and when 
 pat process is deemed indispensable, they should not 
 be encumbered with any clothing whatever, but 
 merely allowed to go the distance for the purpose of 
 Enabling them to stay their course. The same prin- 
 :iple holds good with hunters; and whatever preju- 
 dices some of the old school may entertain against the 
 practice, horses will be got into better wind with 
 couch less injury to their legs, and will acquire a 
 greater proportion of muscular power, by a few gentle 
 sweats than by frequent gallops. But there are many 
 persons who follow hounds possessing but an imper- 
 fect idea of the value of condition, from the simple 
 ? act that they never have their hunters in that en- 
 viable state. 
 
 With reference to hunters the distinction between 
 i.vork and exercise is even more striking. Their 
 treatment during the summer months, since Nimrod 
 •escued them from the miseries, dangers, and dimi- 
 lished value, accompanied with the olden custom of 
 :urning them like bullocks into the open fields to 
 
106 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 graze, renders the preparation of them for the chase 
 in November a work of easy attainment. To have 
 hunters in high condition no green food should be 
 given, and if it is not considered convenient or ex- 
 pedient to give them exercise in the summer, — a prac- 
 tice decidedly conducive to their welfare,— they must 
 be accommodated with sufficient room in loose boxes 
 with outlets or yards. I am aware there are persons 
 who still advocate the ancient practice of giving 
 hunters green food in the summer, but practical ex- 
 perience proves that the acme of condition cannot b( 
 attained by that plan. The quality of the blood 
 consequently the circulation, the vessels connectec 
 therewith, the muscular system, and all those import- ' 
 ant functions of the body which depend upon th<t 
 state of the blood, are so completely changed by sue 
 culent diet, that the time which intervenes betweei j 
 summer and winter is insufficient to allow the part 
 to be restored to that state which is absolutely ne j 
 cessary to the acquirement of high condition. Thi 
 middle of August is the period for commencing 
 their preparations with physic; and when it is ob : 
 served that the pace at which they will be requirec 
 to go, taking into consideration the fences they hav< \ 
 to clear, fully equals in point of exertion the effort; 
 of race-horses, it is quite evident their conditioi 
 should be equally good, and similar means adoptee 
 to produce that result. Hunters do not generally 
 require to be so frequently sweated as race-horses 
 because it is not desirable to draw them so fine 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 107 
 
 neither should their gallops be, comparatively with 
 their speed, at so fast a pace; but, with those dis- 
 tinctions, no difference should be made in their treat- 
 ment. The same observances with regard to feeding 
 and stable discipline are perfectly applicable. When 
 the hunting season commences, if regularly ridden 
 with hounds, very little more than walking exercise 
 lis necessary to keep them in order. There are of 
 bourse exceptions to this rule with some, and in the 
 levent of a horse by any chance missing his day with 
 jhounds, a good striding gallop or two will be advis- 
 able to keep him in wind. 
 
 The general treatment of steeple-chase horses is in 
 ia few cases only different from that of race-horses. 
 lAs they are required to run greater distances, their 
 work should be apportioned and their pace slower. 
 [Practising them at fences is likewise an observance 
 Inot to be forgotten, and taking them out with hounds 
 as a portion of their training is decidedly the best 
 method of rendering them perfect ; but at the same 
 time they should be ridden by a good horseman, who 
 makes the horse's training his motive for hunting, and 
 inot the pleasures of the chase. 
 
 Every horse has his distance ; some can only excel 
 in half mile races, others are best at the end of a 
 imile, a mile and a half, or two miles, and often 
 i evince their superiority at the end of three miles. 
 i These faculties it is very essential to ascertain, not 
 only for the purpose of placing them, but of regu- 
 lating their work. Horses with great speed, may, 
 
108 STABLE PRxlCTICE. 
 
 as they gain maturity, with a long and very judi- 
 cious preparation, be brought out to ran favour- 
 ably, a little beyond their distance ; but they never 
 will exceed it greatly, and the fact of their being 
 successful in such cases must generally be attributed 
 to the inferior capabilities of their antagonists over 
 the length of course on which they happen to run. 
 
109 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 
 SWEATING. 
 
 General Knowledge of the Terra. — Necessity for the Process. — 
 Distinction between fat and muscular Horses. — Fat and its Use 
 described. — Phenomenon of the Blood. — Congestion of the 
 Lungs. — Nourishment from Fat. — Parts where Fat is deposited. 
 Importance of Fat. — Effects of severe Sweating. — Young 
 Horses deposit Fat more constantly than old Ones. — Importance 
 of maintaining the Condition of old Horses. — The muscular 
 System considered. — The Action of the Muscles. — Muscular 
 Development. — Process of Sweating. — The proper Adaptation of 
 Clothing. — Material. — Distance. — Preparations. — Objection to 
 the Muzzle. — The Canter. — The Sweat. — Kind of Ground to be 
 selected. — Pace. — Idle Horses. — Caution against destroying the 
 Courage. — Rubbing-house or Place for Scraping. — Scraping- 
 out of Doors. — Objection to Sweating in windy Weather. — 
 Observances at the Time of Scraping. — Scraping — Gallop after 
 sweating. — Routine of the Stable. — Expedition in Dressing. — 
 Danger from taking Cold. — Dry Hay preferable to Wet. — Tem- 
 perature of the Stable. — Breaking out. — Practice at Afternoon 
 Stable Time. — Causes of Horses breaking out. — Exercise on the 
 Day after Sweating. — Intervals between Sweats. — Varieties of 
 Constitutions. — Sweating Hunters. 
 
 Every stable-boy knows that sweating has the effect 
 )f reducing the quantity of fat, or, to use his own 
 more familiar expression, that it makes the horse 
 ighter ; but how and why the fat should be diminished 
 it is necessary to explain. 
 
 The object to be gained by sweating is to un- 
 burden the system of all superfluous fat, both that 
 
110 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 which is contained in the internal parts of the body, 
 and that which is deposited among the interstices of 
 the muscles and the cellular membranes more imme- 
 diately in contact with the surface or outer skin ; the 
 overabundance of which interferes with the action oi 
 the muscles. A horse may appear to the eye full oi 
 flesh without being muscular, that is, without th* 
 muscles being clearly denned and in that full force o 
 development which they are capable of acquiring fron 
 nutritious food and judicious exercise. Unless the} 
 are in that state the animal is not equal to the per 
 formance of great efforts of speed and endurance. 
 
 Fat may be denominated the superfluous and oil; 
 portions of the blood, which being deposited in certaii 
 cells or reservoirs, and conveyed there by vessel 
 adapted to that office from the extremities of th 
 arteries, is intended for the purpose of lubricating th 
 adjacent parts; hence a reason why the state of th I 
 blood is so intimately connected with the condition oi 
 the animal. The study of physiology teaches m 
 that if the blood be too viscid and its particles sepa 
 rate with difficulty, the circulation ceases, becaus 
 blood in that state cannot pass through the lungs 
 being thus obstructed, it is effused into the substanc 
 of that organ. Hence congestion of the lungs is ofte: 
 produced, and frequently becomes chronic. This is 
 condition to which hunters and race-horses are ver; 
 susceptible ; and, as it must have a prejudicial effec 
 upon the respiratory functions, the necessity of pre 
 caution becomes manifest. Superficial observers ar 
 
SWEATING. 1 1 1 
 
 oo apt to disregard this fact ; they are not in reality 
 Lware of the injuries produced by improper food, 
 |;uch as an abundance of green succulent herbage, 
 riven in the juvenile days of the horse, or when at 
 [est, and which, not being eradicated from the system 
 brior to work, occasions this and many other evils. 
 Dolds will produce a similar inconvenience. The body 
 evidently derives much nourishment from the fat 
 fvhich it contains, for long fasting decreases the 
 imantity very considerably. This substance is found 
 n the region of the stomach, about the kidneys, at 
 the basis of the heart, and in the interstices of the 
 Inuscles, and if deposited in too great abundance it 
 Obstructs the freedom of those particular organs. 
 
 The ordinary uses of these oily humours are under- 
 stood to be the faculty of supplying moisture to the 
 surrounding parts. In moderate quantities it is 
 essential ; it facilitates the action of the muscles, and 
 defends them from attrition, or, more familiarly speak- 
 .n£, from friction. Thus it will be observed, that 
 il though it is necessary to reduce the quantity within 
 the bounds of moderation, it would not be consistent 
 ;to carry on that reduction to excess. It is one of the 
 prdinations of nature, that a certain portion of fat 
 phould remain in the body, as it is constantly being 
 jrenewed by absorption, and a faculty of depositing 
 itself in those situations where it is required. It is, 
 (therefore, very certain, that that power of constant 
 renewal would not have been ordained if the presence 
 of the substance were not essentially necessary. 
 
112 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 Sweating, if practised too extensively, having reduced 
 a great portion of the fat by exhausting the system, 
 likewise reduces the muscles. The ability to deposit 
 fat does not exist so vigorously with old as with 
 young or middle-aged horses, and for this reason the 
 latter should never on any account be suffered to lost 
 their condition, unless illness be the unavoidable 
 cause. Having to a certain extent lost this faculty 
 a similar failing of the power to regenerate musch 
 ensues ; this remark is more applicable to hunters oi 
 steeple-chasers than race-horses, as the latter selclon 
 continue in training to an age at which this reductioi 
 of the system has established itself. The reasoning 
 powers of man must co-operate with the decrees of 
 nature to accomplish his desire of improving the phy 
 sical powers of the horse, in order to gain the benefi 
 of his services. 
 
 So much of the superiority of the horse depend 
 upon the state of the muscular system, that the con 
 struction and functions of the muscles require to bi 
 briefly explained. The muscles being the means b] 
 which all the movements of the body are performed 
 anything which tends to diminish their powers mus 
 of necessity produce an equivalent difficulty of action 
 The fibres of which the muscles are composed ar<! 
 placed in different directions; as, for instance, som< 
 run parallel with the tendons, others lie in an obliqur 
 direction, and some have the fibres running across oi: 
 intersecting each other. That which we call flesl 
 may be denominated the body of the muscle, the ex- 
 tremities of which, contracting into a finer substance 
 
SWEATING. 113 
 
 are named tendons. The muscles are supplied with 
 an infinite number of blood-vessels and nerves, and 
 are also enveloped in a very delicate tissue or skin, 
 the interstices, as already observed, being places where 
 fat is deposited. They possess a striking and un- 
 accountable difference in their means of action ; some 
 having a voluntary motion, the origin of which it is 
 beyond the power of man to trace. 
 
 Although increase of bulk does not always denote 
 increase of power, — that is, does not add to the 
 limb made up of muscle, — yet the muscles, by con- 
 stant use, will become more thoroughly developed. 
 A healthy man or horse, who is least disposed to be 
 fat, appears generally most muscular, and indeed is 
 usually possessed of stronger and finer muscles than 
 those who are fat. 
 
 Having thus explained the inconveniences and 
 disadvantages arising from a superabundance of fat, 
 and at the same time the injurious results of ex- 
 cessive reductions, we proceed to show how the 
 practice of sweating is to be carried into effect. 
 Clothing — the quantity of which must be regu- 
 lated by the weather, the condition and also the 
 constitution of the animal, — is to be put on, 
 a greater portion being applied to those parts which 
 are most loaded, if any such irregularity exists ; for 
 example, if the neck and shoulders be gross and 
 heavy, which is frequently the case with stallions, an 
 extra quantity of clothing is required on those parts ; 
 or, if the neck be light, as often happens with mares 
 and geldings, it may be prudent not to use even a 
 
 I 
 
114 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 single hood. For this purpose the best description is 
 that which is made of rugs, which will be more 
 minutely described in the chapter on Clothing. The 
 motives for selecting that material are its lightness, 
 warmth, non-absorbing qualities, — in consequence 
 of which latter property, a great portion of the per- 
 spiration, as it escapes from the horse, evaporates, — 
 and the ease with which it is subsequently dried. 
 The distance of ground to be gone over will vary. 
 If it be the first or second sweat, three miles or three 
 miles and a half will be quite sufficient, after which 
 four or even, sometimes, five miles may be the extent 
 of the performance. The night before sweating 
 it is advisable to diminish the allowance of hay ; in 
 fact, some greedy horses require the muzzle, but 
 this should be avoided if possible, as the frequent 
 use of that apparatus previously to any fatiguing 
 exercise, is very likely to cause restlessness and great 
 inconvenience when the animal is set, preparatory 
 to a race. After leaving the stable, half an hour's 
 walking exercise renders the horse in a fit state 
 to take a canter ; and at the termination of a similar 
 period, he may commence the sweat. Level ground, 
 or that which is nearly so, should be chosen for the 
 purpose. Ascending hills is too distressing, and de- 
 scending them shakes the fore legs. The pace at 
 starting should be slow, and gradually increased, but 
 not to exceed half speed. Some horses become so 
 cunning and idle, that great difficulty is experienced 
 in getting them along, and it becomes necessary to 
 have another to lead them, and at times to run head 
 
SWEATING. 115 
 
 and head with them ; but it is a custom that should 
 be avoided if possible, as nothing tends more to de- 
 press the courage than bullying them when in the 
 least distressed by pace. If thus harassed, when other 
 horses come to run against them, the moment they 
 are, as it is technically called, " collered," and begin 
 to tire in a race, they will very probably " shut up," 
 calculating, as no doubt they do, upon severe dis- 
 tress, similar to what they have previously experi- 
 enced. It must thus appear evident how essentially 
 necessary it is to avoid any act that will have that 
 effect. 
 
 A suitable place must be appointed for scraping 
 in : if the exercise ground be at a distance from the 
 stables, a rubbing-house is usually erected convenient 
 to the spot ; but if the stables be near at hand, 
 and are made, use of for this purpose, an unoccupied 
 box or stall should be selected in preference to the 
 apartment in which the horse is kept, because the 
 steam which arises will render the place damp, and, 
 for a time, unwholesome. In fine warm weather there 
 is no objection to scraping in the open air, but in a 
 sheltered situation ; indeed, I think it is preferable, 
 because the animal is less likely to experience faint- 
 ness, which will sometimes occur in a confined build- 
 ing. It must not be understood that I would sanction 
 a horse being scraped out of doors during a shower 
 of rain, or when the wind blows keenly from the 
 east ; in fact, if it can possibly be avoided, horses 
 should never be sweated in windy weather, for then 
 I 2 
 
116 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 they never sweat kindly, and are very apt to break 
 out after they are shut up. Unless the necessity be 
 urgent, it is far better to postpone the operation till 
 the following or even the second day. Indeed, of the 
 two I would rather sweat a horse during mild rain 
 than when the wind is very boisterous. 
 
 The horse having gone the required distance, and 
 been pulled up, will be allowed to stand a few 
 minutes, and then taken quickly, in order that the 
 perspiration may not subside, to the place where he 
 is to be scraped. Having arrived there, additional 
 clothing should be thrown over him, to increase the 
 perspiration till it runs freely down the legs : during 
 this period he may be refreshed by washing his mouth 
 with water from a bottle, and having his lips and 
 nostrils cleaned with a sponge. The clothing is then 
 to be thrown forward from his quarters, which are to 
 be scraped. The implement with which this opera- 
 tion is performed should be used lightly, to avoid 
 irritating the temper. The girths are then to be 
 slackened, and the hoods removed. The person who 
 holds the horse's head rubs that part with a dry 
 rubber, while another commences scraping the neck 
 on the near side. That being accomplished, a boy 
 rubs the neck with dry wisps of hay, and the neck 
 on the off side is scraped, the mane having been 
 struck over by the scraper, as it is held up with the 
 fingers,— all hands being at work to get the head, 
 ears, and neck dry as quickly as possible. When that 
 is done, and the mane combed, a dry hood may be 
 put on, or not, according to the state of the animal 
 
SWEATING. 117 
 
 and the weather. The saddle and the remainder of 
 the clothing must then be removed, and the body 
 scraped, and made dry as expeditiously as possible 
 with wisps and rubbers, after which the ordinary 
 dry clothing is to be put on, the mouth washed, and 
 the horse led about till he is fit to take a steady 
 gallop; after which, being walked till sufficiently 
 cool, he returns to his stable, where the regular rou- 
 tine of dressing is to be performed. The legs should 
 be fomented with warm water, and bandaged. Then 
 follow gruel of linseed, wheat flour, or oatmeal, a 
 bran mash, a small portion of hay, and the horse 
 should be shut up for five hours. 
 
 The importance of having a horse dressed expedi- 
 tiously and vigorously after he returns home from 
 sweating must not be overlooked, and two competent 
 persons should be employed for the purpose. Con- 
 siderable danger arises if the animal becomes chilled : 
 colds, inflammation of the lungs, swelled legs, and a 
 long list of catastrophes are to be apprehended. 
 During the time the head and neck are being dressed 
 a lock of sweet dry hay should be given : many per- 
 sons give it wet, which is objectionable for the 
 following;; reason : — The horse at this time bein^ 
 naturally thirsty, and probably hungry, gives the wet 
 hay two or three twists in his mouth and swallows it, 
 by which means it passes into the stomach like a little 
 wisp ; whereas, when given dry, he is compelled to 
 masticate it, which excites a flow of saliva and more 
 effectually moistens the mouth than the wet hay. A 
 
 I 3 
 
118 STABLE PEACTICE. 
 
 few go-downs of gruel may be given to facilitate the 
 object. Similar treatment should be observed with 
 a horse on his return to the stable after a race or 
 after hunting. 
 
 The temperature of the stable demands particular 
 attention when shut up. If it be too cold, inconve- 
 nience will ensue from the animal becoming chilled ; 
 and if there be not a sufficient quantity of fresh air, 
 it will be the cause of his breaking out. More 
 oxygen is required after severe exertions than on 
 ordinary occasions. Considerable nicety is therefore 
 indispensable in regulating the ventilation, so as to 
 avoid either extremes of heat or cold. 
 
 It is not customary to strip and dress a horse in 
 the afternoon of the day on which he has been sweat- 
 ing; nevertheless the legs should be well brushed, 
 sponged, and hand- rubbed, and the usual routine 
 punctually followed. But in the event of the horse 
 having "broken out," it will be advisable to wisp 
 him over. At this crisis it is exceedingly important 
 not to allow him to become chilled. There are three 
 principal causes for horses "breaking out" after 
 work: the first may be ascribed to irritability of 
 temper, the second to an impure condition of the 
 blood, and the third to being shut up in an over hot 
 stable, without a sufficiency of oxygen being admitted. 
 The first is the most difficult to contend against, and 
 can only be overcome by great care, kind treatment, 
 the most scrupulous avoidance of any disturbance, 
 noise, or event which may tend to alarm the animal, 
 
SAVE ATI XG. 119 
 
 and so regulating the pace and distance when the 
 sweat is performed as not to occasion distress. The 
 second not unfrequently arises from the injudicious use 
 of diuretics, which not operating on the kidneys, as 
 intended, act as sudorifics. Many persons give nitre 
 in the gruel or mash on these occasions, with an idea 
 of cooling the system ; but it is a very mistaken prac- 
 tice. Spirit of nitric aether, or, as it is also called, 
 sweet spirits of nitre, is open to similar objections. 
 If anything appears necessary as a diuretic, Epsom 
 salts, in quantity from four to six ounces, may be 
 given ; as a corrective also of the secretions in the 
 alimentary tube its effects are often salutary. But 
 it must be remembered that after sweating the dis- 
 charge of urine will of necessity be less copious than 
 usual, so great a quantity of the fluid contained in the 
 body being carried off by perspiration. The impro- 
 priety, therefore, must be apparent of forcing cer- 
 tain organs with medicine when there is a deficiency 
 of material for them to act upon. The third cause 
 may be avoided by giving more air, unless the stable 
 is badly contrived, or the weather be intensely hot, 
 in which case it may be desirable to reduce the quan- 
 tity of clothing. 
 
 On the day after sweating, little, if anything, more 
 than walking exercise is necessary; and the process 
 will most probably require to be repeated with race- 
 horses at the termination of five, six, or seven days. 
 Some horses may require it more frequently, while 
 others cannot bear it so often ; and many require very 
 
 1 4 
 
120 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 little or no clothing. These are circumstances which 
 can only be determined by observation, combined with 
 some study of "cause and effect." If the art of 
 training could be simplified by mathematical demon- 
 stration, like a rule-of- three sum, or any other opera- 
 tion in arithmetic, every village schoolmaster would 
 be capable of superintending the performance. All 
 horses cannot be trained alike ; that is, they cannot 
 all bear the same proportion of work to bring them 
 to the post in the best condition their respective con- 
 stitutions are capable of attaining. A horse may 
 come to the post very fit to run, although trained by 
 an ignorant and inexperienced person, but that is the 
 effect of chance. The ability of the trainer is deter- 
 mined by the generally good condition in which every 
 horse comes out. 
 
 These rules and observances relative to sweating 
 are equally applicable to hunters and race-horses; 
 but the former do not usually require so many sweats 
 as the latter. From four to six, commencing early 
 in September, will render most hunters quite fit to 
 go with hounds when the season commences. They 
 are not required to be drawn so fine as for racing ; 
 yet, considering the pace at which hounds run, the 
 condition of hunters should not be lightly treated. 
 If a hunter is overburdened with fat internally, or the 
 interstices of the muscles are overcharged, he will 
 not be able, from want of wind and muscular free- 
 dom, to undergo the exertions frequently required 
 from him. The functions of the lungs, the kidneys, 
 
SWEATING. , 121 
 
 id the heart, being interrupted by an overabund- 
 ice, the horse is in constant danger when the system 
 highly excited by exertion ; neither will the circu- 
 ition recover its accustomed tranquillity in a reason- 
 ble time after a severe day's hunting. • Hence arises 
 ingestion of the lungs (so prevalent with old 
 iunters), obstructions of the kidneys, palpitations, 
 ad other affections of the heart. 
 
22 STABLE PRACTICE, 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Importance of Trials. — Causes of Mistakes. — Participation ■ 
 Trainers and Jockies. — Indifference respecting Trials. — Erro: 
 of Judgment. — Comparison between Trials and public Paces. - 
 Sceptical Opinions concerning Trials. — Touts. — Circumspectic 
 necessary. — .Trying Two Year Olds. — Preparation requisite.-, 
 Placing Horses. — Qualifications. — Weights. — Reference i 
 Handicaps. — Palse Conclusions. — Speed of aged Horses. — Pac . 
 
 — Boys not eligible to ride Trial Horses. — Sagacity of old Horse 
 
 — Contradictory Results. — Flat and billy Courses. — Inference :| 
 Work, but actual Trials necessary. — Case of Prejudice. — Cautk 
 against Touts. — Trial Saddles. — Caution with Boys. — Place 
 finishing Trial. — Skill of Touts. — Indiscretion. — Anecdote. 
 
 To ascertain a horse's qualifications before he 
 brought out to run in public is a subject of conside: 
 able importance, whether it be a young one that haj 
 never raced, or one of more mature age that has. I 
 the first case it is necessary to know the young one 
 pretensions to favour ; in the second to discover wh( 
 ther the horse has improved, retrograded, or reiuair 
 in his original form ; and by the opinions thus d( 
 rived of their respective powers, the propriety ( 
 paying forfeit or starting will be decided, as well i 
 the propriety of backing him for a larger amount. 
 
 It must be remarked that the most extraordinar 
 mistakes are at times made in trials, arising fror 
 a variety of circumstances. A sanguine hope that 
 
TRIALS.' 123 
 
 ,'Oiuig animal which a man has reared, which he 
 las daily and hourly watched with the utmost assi- 
 luity and attention, which becomes frequently the 
 larling of his heart and the pet of his imagination, 
 i— such a creature, in his ardent imagination, must, 
 le conceives, possess, if not every perfection, at 
 east very superior powers, These feelings are 
 mown to exist, both by the trainer, the jockey, and 
 the stable-boy, and each, desirous to gratify their 
 Employer, uses every means to show off the pet to the 
 pest advantage. I will not even hint that anything 
 s done by either of the above-named persons for the 
 purpose of deception, but from a laudable endeavour 
 Eo please : thus the capabilities of the young animal 
 ire set forth in the most flattering terms, and the 
 owner, if he be not thoroughly experienced, deceives 
 pimself. These facts lead many persons to regard 
 private trials with considerable indifference, but that 
 Feeling must arise from the circumstance of their 
 paving been injudiciously conducted, and the numer- 
 ous events connected therewith not being thoroughly 
 Bcrutinised. To hold a principle cheap which is 
 /good in itself, although capable of misconstruction 
 from bad management, is an error of judgment. If 
 kvell conducted, trials are as certain tests of a horse's 
 powers to those who have the management of them 
 is public races. The health of animals influences 
 the result as much in one case as in the other, and 
 there are contingencies calculated to enable a horse 
 b run better on one day than another, and applicable 
 equally to public races and private trials ; hence pro- 
 
124 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 prietors of race-horses ought not to hold the latter ii 
 contempt because the sequel on all occasions does no 
 turn out agreeably to their preconceived notions an< 
 their wishes. 
 
 The public have infinitely more reason to enter 
 tain doubtful opinions of trials from a combination o 
 events ; but the public have no right to any advan 
 tage that may arise from private trials. When the; 
 do obtain any knowledge of a horse's superiority o 
 inferiority, it must be gained " second hand," an< 
 generally unfairly. Therefore at best they have t 
 contend against any little mistakes that may have oc 
 currecl in the trial, the representation given, the sourc 
 from whence the representation is derived ; in othe 
 words, the motive of the informant ; and consider 
 ing, in ninety-nine cases in a hundred, that the resul 
 of the trial is surreptitiously acquired, and therefor 
 not to be depended upon, with a host of other circum 
 stances likely to lead them into errors, it is not sui j 
 prising that the most experienced portion of the racin. 
 public should entertain sceptical notions of wha 
 reaches their ears relative to private trials. Th 
 legion of touts which has of late years sprung ur 
 and who advertise their services in the sportin 
 journals, to give intelligence relative to race-horse 
 for " certain considerations," no doubt endeavour t 
 obtain information concerning trials for their owi 
 benefit ; but an owner of horses, or a trainer, must b 
 an especial flat if he ever allows one of these geniuse 
 to obtain any knowledge that is correct. Even ii 
 their presence, there are means of conducting trial 
 
TRIALS. . 125 
 
 ;>y which the most cunning would never discover 
 ; the secret." This may be accomplished without 
 ractising any deception which the strictest moralist 
 ould impugn. I will presently explain how this can 
 e done. There is a marked distinction between wil- 
 ully misleading a person by a falsehood, and cir- 
 umspection in guarding the management of a trial so 
 hat intrusive bystanders, or concealed touts, cannot 
 orm a conclusion as to the result. When it is con- 
 rary to a man's interest to make it publicly known 
 hat he has a horse of great pretensions, there is no 
 aw, moral or legal, that can render it imperative for 
 im to do so. 
 
 j The two years olds, in the progress of their work, 
 lay have a trial as an initiatory proceeding, which, 
 Jthough it may afford some idea of their speed, can- 
 .ot be relied upon. To be satisfactory? every horse 
 hould be as carefully prepared as if he is intended 
 D run. There cannot be greater folly than for a 
 aan to allow himself to be deceived by flattering 
 rials ; by making excuses that the animals which are 
 tied are not fit. If they are in a fit state to run 
 nd are defeated, it is generally a conclusive proof 
 hat they are not good, in which case the only pru- 
 ient course is, to place them in company of a 
 jiediocre quality, or part with them without incur- 
 Jng additional expenses; unless, indeed, they may 
 je engaged in produce stakes, where they may meet 
 thers worse than themselves, or by chance have the 
 ood fortune to walk over. 
 Before it is possible to form a just estimate of the 
 
126 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 merits of young horses, three or four trials must tak 
 place, and the important fact established whethe 
 speed or stoutness be the forte of the respective carj 
 didates for favour. The relative proportion of weight 
 at which horses of different ages ought to be trie 
 must necessarily depend on the time of the year, an 
 may readily be determined by reference to the Racin 
 Calendar. The best criterion will be formed by tin 
 weight which the trial horse may have carried in 
 popular handicap, or which may be appointed fc 
 him to carry ; taking that as a standard, and regi 
 lating the weights on the young ones in proportion. 
 Notwithstanding there may be many other causr 
 which lead to false conclusions respecting trials, tl: 
 following may be considered the most general, ar 
 should be enumerated in order to be avoided. ] 
 the first place, it frequently happens that the tri; 
 horse has lost his speed. It is a very common cm 
 that aged horses, as they improve in stoutnes 
 lose their speed, and thus, single-handed, do n( 
 furnish trials for young ones. Neglecting to mat ! 
 the pace sufficiently strong is another event calci 
 lated to give the juveniles a chance. Having a ba 
 pace to commence with, a moderate young one wi 
 beat a tolerably good old one. It not unfrequentl 
 happens that a boy is put up to ride the trial hors< 
 and that jockies are employed to ride the youn ! 
 ones ; this is just reversing the proper order, the boi 
 being engaged to perform a duty which requires tli 
 most experience, — that of making " the running. 
 Independently of this, many old horses will n( 
 
TRIALS. 127 
 
 [in kindly on the ground whereon they take their 
 rercise. 
 
 As an example of the mistakes which are occa- 
 jonally made in trials, I may state that some years 
 nee, a trainer, of some notoriety at. Newmarket, 
 ied three two years old fillies three times, with a 
 afferent result each time. "When they came out to 
 an (for they all started in the same race), the one 
 Inch was held in the least estimation proved to be 
 le winner, and her subsequent running proved her 
 ) be the best of the lot. 
 
 The nature of the course on which a horse can run 
 the greatest advantage is a point which ought to 
 3 ascertained, as there are many that can run several 
 bunds better on a flat than on a hilly course, and 
 ice versa. It is impossible to know how to place 
 lem most satisfactorily without having established 
 lis point. Some little judgment may be formed in 
 ae common routine of exercise, but that is not to be 
 plied upon. A trainer may have an idea of the 
 Merits of an animal in his work, which w T ill assist 
 im greatly, if he makes proper use of his opinion, 
 r hen he comes to try that animal; but it should 
 ways be held imperative to ascertain by actual 
 rials, unbiassed and unprejudiced, what are the most 
 !3rtain points on which a horse w r ill run most suc- 
 essfully. Owners of race-horses and trainers are 
 -equently satisfied if the result of a trial leads them 
 ) suppose that a horse has some running about him, 
 dthout investigating enough to decide what his best 
 ndowments may be. Many years ago I purchased 
 
128 STABLE PEACTICE. 
 
 a five years old horse, and left him in the care of tl 
 trainer who had had the management of him from tr. 
 time he was a two years old. The horse's runnin 
 had been very moderate ; he had frequently bee 
 second, but very seldom first. Shortly after I becan 
 possessed of him I rode him myself, and, accordir 
 to my trainer's advice, waited with him, when he w: 
 beaten easily; but fortunately the race was heats, ar 
 at the second attempt I made running with , hir j 
 which changed the result ; for the third heat I r 
 peated the running, and won that still more easi' 
 than the second. This misconception of the train' 
 arose from two causes : he tried the horse when tv 
 years old, but never afterwards, and the result of tl 
 trial led him to suppose that the- speed of the cc 
 was his forte. Being a prejudiced man he nev 
 changed his opinion. In the second place, the hor 
 no doubt improved in stamina and stoutness as 1 jl 
 gained maturity; and had it not been for the heal 
 which enabled me to try a different way of runnii 
 from what had ever been adopted before, I should, : J 
 all probability, have remained in ignorance how ml 
 horse could be made use of to the best advantage. 
 
 In order to avoid letting touts or bystanders in ; : 
 the secrets of trials, there are two ways of manag 
 ment. The saddles employed for the purpose mu 
 be made to vary very considerably in their respectr 
 weights, and a small one, having the appearance of f| 
 three or four pounds saddle should be made to wei° 
 a stone or upwards ; a seven pounds saddle-cloth wi 
 assist in the artifice. A large saddle, made as light i 
 
TRIALS, 129 
 
 possible, will not exceed five pounds, although it will 
 have the appearance of weighing fourteen. By this 
 means even the jockies who may be engaged, are, if 
 necessary, kept in ignorance of the weights they ride, 
 by weighing them without their saddles ; and with 
 boys, if they are put up, it is a ruse invariably to be 
 adopted, for they must be far more discreet than such 
 juveniles usually are, if they do not confide the secret 
 to some of their companions, when, by the agency of 
 telegraphic information, it is a miracle if the in- 
 telligence is not spread half over the kingdom in 
 a few hours. The inquisitive intentions of strangers 
 will also be frustrated, by directing the jockies, or 
 boys, to gallop on some distance beyond the point 
 where the trial actually terminates, over which 
 ground the winner should not be allowed to go first. 
 Touts and watchers of horses are of course "down to 
 'every move ;" they are most of them very skilful in 
 their calling, and for that reason every change of 
 tactics that can be devised must be brought into 
 play. If the true result of a trial does gain 
 publicity, it arises from some indiscretion or mis- 
 management on the part of the person who con- 
 ducts it. 
 
 Apropos of indiscretion, a certain trainer of much 
 belebrity, in whose stables many great favourites for 
 Various Derbys and St. Legers have been tutored, 
 formed an acquaintance with a lady in the gay 
 metropolis. Being desirous of winning and main- 
 taining her good graces, he was wont to inform her 
 confidentially — never dreaming that such intelligence 
 
 K 
 
130 • STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 would be turned to account — upon which of the horses 
 under his care she could most safely bet her dozen 
 pairs of gloves. It happened, however, that a young 
 gentleman who frequented Tattersalls' also became 
 acquainted with the fair innamorata ; and observing 
 that her delicate hands were unusually well provided 
 with unsullied kids, upon inquiry discovered she had 
 won a great number by betting on horses whose names 
 she mentioned. This was too favourable a chance not 
 to be turned to good account ; and, through the 
 medium of the unconscious enslaver of the hearts of \ 
 men, the future secrets of the stable were elicited from 
 the unguarded trainer, when, on several occasions, it i 
 was discovered some person had got his money on be- j 
 fore the stable, and, of course, at a better price. This 
 scheme prospered wonderfully, but at length it was 
 discovered. The trap, which had already been well 
 baited, was set; that is, the office was given to back 
 the wrong horse, and bet against the right one; the' 
 event came oif satisfactorily to the trainer, and the 
 hero of the ladies' boudoir has never since visited 
 Tattersalls'. 
 
 Without intending to invest the practice of timing 
 horses with more importance than it deserves, if 
 accurately noted, it may be made use of in trials 
 with good effect. I use the expression accurately 
 noted advisedly, from having more than once heard 
 of horses running trials, specified distances, in much 
 less time than they ever afterwards ran in public. 
 By such mistakes grave disappointments are likely to 
 ensue. The utility of this measure is to ascertain if 
 
TRIALS. 131 
 
 the pace has been true throughout ; and to do so 
 satisfactorily, the exact measurement of the ground 
 must be known, not guessed at, and which latter 
 problematical question, I apprehend, led to the errors 
 already mentioned. The state of the* turf must also 
 be taken into consideration. 
 
 The following table will afford a criterion of the 
 time occupied by horses, of fair repute, in running 
 the respective distances with the turf in good order. 
 I have confined it to the accounts taken of races 
 at Xewmarket, because the respective lengths of 
 the courses there are more accurately known than 
 any others, although I must observe there is some 
 doubt as to the exact measurement of some of 
 those. Reference to the average rate of speed per 
 second will show that timing trials unaccompanied 
 by the test of horses running against each other 
 cannot be relied upon. Unless a race, or trial, be 
 very accurately timed, it leads to much disappoint- 
 ment ; a mistake of only two seconds will occasion 
 a deviation varying from twenty-seven to thirty- 
 five yards, — nine to twelve lengths, - — much too 
 great a distance when a conclusive opinion is to be 
 formed of a horse's qualifications. Furthermore, it 
 must be observed, that if two or three persons 
 attempt to time a race, there will frequently occur a 
 discrepancy in their calculations ; it follows that errors 
 are likely to prevail if the persons who attempt it are 
 not exceedingly well practised in the duty. 
 
 The reports that Eclipse and Flying Childers ran 
 a mile in a minute are unworthy of credence, for it is 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 nearly double the pace that horses of the present clay- 
 can go, and they are now bred more for speed than 
 they were in the ages of the aforesaid worthies. The 
 mistake must have originated in an attempt to time 
 them over a short distance of ground, and coming to 
 a conclusion that, according to their supposed rate of 
 going that short distance, by continuing at the same 
 pace it would equal a mile in a minute. 
 
 TIME TABLE AT NEWMARKET. 
 
 Course. 
 
 Distance. 
 
 T 
 
 me. 
 
 Age. 
 
 AVeight. 
 
 Average Rate 
 per Second. 
 
 
 M. F. 
 
 Y. 
 
 M. 
 
 s. 
 
 Y. 
 
 ST. 
 
 LB. 
 
 Y. F. IN. 
 
 Round Course 
 
 3 4 
 
 1S7 
 
 1? 
 
 33 
 
 1G 
 
 4 
 5 
 
 8 
 11 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 13 2 10 
 
 14 1 6 
 
 Last three Miles of B. C. - 
 
 3 
 
 45 
 
 U 
 
 59 
 31 
 
 4 
 
 2 
 
 7 
 4 
 
 10 
 2 
 
 14 2 6 
 13 1 
 
 Ditch In 
 
 2 
 
 97 
 
 3 
 
 59 
 
 5 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 15 4 
 
 Two middle Miles - 
 
 1 7 
 
 125 
 
 3 
 
 40 
 
 4 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 15 1 9 
 
 Clermoat Course - 
 
 1 5 
 
 217 
 
 3 
 
 11 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 9 
 
 16 1 1 
 
 Audley End - 
 
 1 6 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 38 
 
 4 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 15 1 2 
 
 Across the Flat - • 
 
 1 2 
 
 24 
 
 {I 
 
 20 
 24 
 
 3 
 3 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 15 2 7 
 
 15 11 
 
 Cambridgeshire Course 
 
 1 1 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 5 
 
 13 
 
 16 10 
 
 Rowley Mile 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 l\ 
 
 51 
 
 48 
 
 3 
 3 
 
 8 
 8 
 
 1 
 7 
 
 15 2 7 
 
 16 11 
 
 Abingdon Mile 
 
 7 
 
 211 
 
 1 
 
 49 
 
 5 
 
 9 
 
 2 
 
 16 2 
 
 Ditch Mile - 
 
 7 
 
 178 
 
 [i 
 
 40 
 49 
 
 3 
 
 Aged 
 
 8 
 8 
 
 7 
 10 
 
 17 1 
 15 2 
 
 Criterion - 
 
 5 
 
 184 
 
 1 
 
 20 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 3 
 
 16 1 
 
 Two Years' Old Course 
 
 5 
 
 136 
 
 1 
 
 9 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 17 2 8 
 
 Last half of Abingdon Mile 
 
 3 
 
 215| 
 
 [ 
 
 50 
 55 
 
 3 
 3 
 
 7 
 8 
 
 10 
 10 
 
 17 1 2 
 15 2 8 
 
 Thus it will be seen that the average rate of speed 
 per second, over courses varying in distance from 
 3 miles 4 furlongs and 187 yards, to 3 furlongs 
 215^ yards, is 15 yards 2 feet 2 inches and a frac- 
 tion. 
 
133 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 
 
 Difficulty of training Horses with bad Legs and Feet. — Hunters. — 
 Causes, Remedies, and restorative Measures. — The back Sinews, 
 and Treatment of them. — Caution. — Injurious Effects of hard 
 Ground. — Alternative. — Comparison between Race-horses and 
 Hunters. — Remedy. — Rest sometimes imperative. — Treatment 
 after the Sinews have given way. — Recipe. — Sore Shins. — Relief. 
 
 — Cooling Applications, and Mode of applying them. — Arnaca. 
 
 — Keeping Horses at Work. — Stimulants. — Biniodide of Mer- 
 cury. — Injuries to which Hunters are liable. — Fomentations. — 
 Bandages. — Blows. — Thorns. — Poultices. — Stubs. — Cold 
 Water. — Over-reaches. — The Pastern Joints. — Synovia, its 
 Use. — The Hind Legs. — Cracked Heels. — Ointments. — Recipe 
 for cracked Heels. — Preventive Agency of Food and Exercise. — 
 Case in point. — : Bruises of the Soles. — No Protection afforded to 
 the Soles of the Feet by Plates. — Fomenting the Feet. — Tar 
 Ointment. — Precaution. — Plating. — Texture of the Feet, and 
 Treatment. — Bad Feet. — Good Feet. —Consequences of Neglect. 
 
 — Observances after Removal of Shoes. — Caution to Smiths. 
 
 There is no portion of the frame that occasions the 
 trainer so much perplexity as the legs and feet of 
 certain horses. Such is their peculiar formation, that 
 : when put to work they will baffle the care and judg- 
 ) ment of the most experienced ; in defiance of every 
 precaution they will give way. This is the more 
 vexatious, as it happens very frequently with horses 
 endowed in other respects with uncommon powers. 
 The state of the legs is a source of daily anxiety and 
 attention. Some horses evince symptoms of breaking 
 
 K 3 
 
134 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 down in the back sinews, others of sore shins ; and 
 with many, the form of the limbs is such that they 
 constantly hit the inside of one leg with the oppo- 
 site foot so violently as to produce inflammation. 
 Neither is the hunting groom free from these troubles, 
 although they generally arise from different causes. 
 It is not a very common occurrence for hunters to 
 break down, or to have sore shins; but they are 
 subject to injuries from blows inflicted in various 
 ways, and likewise from thorns, stubs, and stakes. 
 
 The first consideration to be brought under notice 
 is the cause, with a view, as far as possible, of alle- 
 viating it : the second, the remedies best calculated 
 to strengthen the parts, keep them cool, and thereby 
 postpone the catastrophe ; the third, the means of 
 restoring the injured parts when the animals are nc j 
 longer capable of performing their work. 
 
 Those horses are the most liable to give way in their 
 back sinews when the formation of their legs is such | 
 that they stand back on their knees ; the only remedy 
 for which is, to keep their heels as strong as can be 
 prudently allowed, — a precaution, however, which 
 must not lead to any very sanguine hopes. Moreover. | 
 it must be done with great care and by degrees ; for 
 if the heels be allowed to grow too luxuriantly, 01 
 the shoe be made thick at the heel, with the intention 
 of relieving the back sinew, it will throw the nume- 
 rous small bones, joints, and ligaments, of which the 
 foot and pastern is composed, quite out of order, and, 
 thereby produce lameness as incurable as the evil 
 which it is intended to avert. Keeping the legs as 
 cool as possible, and using every means to brace 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 135 
 
 them, may be expected to produce some benefit ; but 
 with all the care human ingenuity can devise, it is 
 not possible to give those horses which show unmis- 
 takeable indications of bad sinews, sufficient work to 
 bring them to the post in the superior form their con- 
 stitutions would admit of if their limbs were differ- 
 ently formed. When the ground on which horses 
 are worked, or on which they run, becomes very 
 hard, danger is always at hand from the concussion 
 which exists. Thus it will be seen that the evils are 
 not within the control of human influence; the only 
 alternative, therefore, is to give these animals as 
 little work as can be deemed calculated to develop 
 their powers to the utmost extent their legs will 
 bear, taking advantage of those times when the 
 ground is in the most favourable order, and never 
 letting them go too fast, for it is when they are ex- 
 tended that the greatest danger is to be apprehended. 
 In fact, that is the reason why hunters so seldom 
 break down compared with race-horses, because the 
 former are seldom put to the utmost extent of their 
 speed — at all events, over any distance of ground ; 
 and thus many horses which cannot bear the ordeal 
 of the training stables, with care will last for years 
 in the hunting field. When the muscles and tendons 
 have been subjected to the utmost degree of exten- 
 sion which their combined elasticity will permit, the 
 tendons become, by so much exertion, so inflamed 
 as often to produce incurable lameness. When the 
 sheath of the tendon is highly inflamed, and appears 
 like a bow standing back from its natural position, 
 
 K 4 
 
136 STABLE PFwACTICE. 
 
 there is very little hope that the animal will be able 
 to bear sufficient work to enable him to race. 
 
 On the first appearance of any inflammation in the 
 sheath of the tendon, temporary rest is imperative, 
 with cooling applications to the part affected ; as an 
 auxiliary, and, at the same time, to prevent the animal 
 from becoming too lusty, a dose of physic may be given 
 advantageously. If these remedies do not succeed, 
 there is little chance of the animal's success on the 
 turf; unless a lengthened term of rest restores the 
 limb to a sound condition. Whether the experiment 
 is justifiable must depend on a variety of circumstances 
 which it would be impossible to suggest. A horse 
 or mare descended from good blood, having done 
 some service on the course, may be more valuable in 
 the stud than on the turf, taking into consideration 
 the chances of not beins: able to win which the 
 malady may entail. 
 
 When such an unfortunate event as a break down 
 has occurred, the first course to be adopted is the 
 immersion of the leg in warm water ; for which pur- 
 pose a fomenting bucket is the most convenient 
 apparatus ; but if that is not at hand, an ordinary 
 stable bucket must suffice, and the warm water con- 
 veyed to the part by means of sponges, or thick 
 flannels. As the poor animals suffer much pain on 
 these occasions, the greatest care and tenderness is 
 requisite ; but the fomentation must be unremittingly 
 persevered with, — in fact, it ought to be continued 
 throughout the first night ; but if that is not done, a 
 poultice becomes necessary, — to which there is an 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 137 
 
 objection, from the difficulty experienced in keeping 
 t in the proper place, as the weight of it causes it 
 o slip down. The poultice may be formed with 
 ,)ran made up with warm water, or boiled turnips, 
 ivhicli are preferable if the accident" occurs at a 
 •eason of the year when those esculents are pro- 
 curable. A dose of physic will materially assist in 
 ubduing the inflammation ; and, in some cases, 
 oleeding may be recommended. After the operation 
 tf the physic has subsided, cooling remedies are to 
 De adopted. In most cases firing is eventually con- 
 idered necessary ; but as that operation comes under 
 he immediate practice of the veterinary surgeon, it 
 s unnecessary to introduce any comments upon the 
 oerformance or the time when it is proper ; but as 
 there are cases in which it may be dispensed with, 
 >y repeated applications of blisters, especially of 
 'hose which are composed of biniodide of mercury, 
 bvery effort of that kind must be tried before the 
 severe and disfiguring agency of the iron is resorted 
 o. The following formula will be found serviceable 
 n such cases : — 
 
 Biniodide of mercury 1 drachm. 1 AT . 
 
 T o^.l o f Mix. 
 
 .Lard - - - 2 ounces. J 
 |\. sufficient quantity to be rubbed on the part once 
 L day, and repeated till a scurf appears. This must 
 jiever be applied till every symptom of inflammation 
 jias been reduced ; a caution to be observed with all 
 dnds of blisters. 
 
 As the formation of the leg already described has 
 . tendency, to cause horses to give way in their back 
 
138 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 sinews, the reverse — that is, those which stand ove 
 at their knees — are most subject to the perplexing 
 torment known as sore shins. Not, let me remark 
 but that some horses with the most perfectly formei 
 legs will occasionally be affected with either malady 
 particularly if the ground on which they take thei 
 work is dry and hard. In those cases, concussio 
 will produce the inconvenience now under con 
 sideration. Peculiarity of action is another cause 
 also frequently galloping against a severe hill. 1 
 sore shin is -occasioned by inflammation of the sine^ 
 which passes down the front part of the cannon bon 
 — the office of which is to lift and extend the foot 
 from its proximity to the bone itself, the inflanc 
 mation extends sympathetically to the periosteum, 
 delicate and extremely sensitive membrane, supplie 
 with remarkably minute vessels, which, on that a< 
 count, when they are once disordered, general! 
 create much trouble in restoring them to their propc 
 tone and action. Some relief may be obtained b 
 lowering the heels, so that the sinew in question ma 
 be subject to the least possible amount of extension 
 and, like the contrary measure proposed for wea 
 back sinews, may be termed a mechanical alternated 
 which cannot be relied upon as the only remed; 
 Rest, as in all other cases when inflammation pr<| 
 vails, is the grand panacea ; but as that is frequent! 
 impossible, the only good practice, under such circun 
 stances, is to introduce such means of relief as aij 
 calculated to allay the violence of the inflammatioi; 
 The pressure arising from bandages increases tl 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 139 
 
 vil ; they must not, therefore, be used as agents for 
 he application of any of the cooling lotions which 
 nay be selected. A linen cloth or rubber, folded to 
 i convenient size, and tied on above the knee, so as 
 o fall loosely down the front of the leg, constantly 
 aturated with a cooling mixture, is the most effi- 
 acious means of reducing the inflammation. The 
 incture of arnaca, in the proportion of one ounce to 
 light of water, may be used advantageously as a 
 lotion; in which case, the shin should be bathed 
 ivith it twice a day, having a linen cloth, which has 
 >een dipped in cold water, kept constantly on the 
 >art, as before recommended. By this mode of 
 reatment, horses may sometimes be kept on in their 
 Ivork so as to enable them to run out an engage- 
 nent. But it will depend upon the proximity of the 
 ime when a horse is required to run, and that of the 
 iore shin making its appearance, whether it is most 
 Advisable to keep him on in work or indulge him till 
 he malady is overcome. In either case, as soon as 
 he inflammation is subdued, the use of stimulants 
 becomes necessary, in order to disperse the effusion 
 which has taken place in the periosteum ; because if 
 hat be neglected, the part will eventually become 
 bssified, from which state it can never be restored. 
 |ro promote this cure, mild stimulants are the most 
 tatisfactory, as they admit of frequent repetitions. 
 |A. small quantity of the oil, or the vinegar of can- 
 charides, may be employed ; at the same time, for all 
 mch purposes, the biniodide of mercury appears to 
 pe the most effectual. If made in the proportion of 
 
140 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 one drachm of biniodide of mercury to three ounce; 
 of lard, a small quantity being rubbed on daily til 
 a scurf has arisen, it will generally be followed b] 
 beneficial results ; after the scurf comes off it ma] 
 be repeated in case the enlargement is not reduced 
 This, it will be seen, is the same preparation as tin ■ 
 one recommended at page 137., but rendered milde 
 by an additional proportion of lard. 
 
 The suspensory ligaments which pass down botlj 
 sides of the legs, are also subject to inflammation 
 Two predisposing causes may be named, one occa) 
 sioned by blows, the other arises from the formatioi i 
 of the leg, the first of which may be obviated by th \ 
 use of boots or bandages to be worn at exercise ; fo \ 
 the second there is no alternative, beyond the ver; 
 trivial one which may be expected from a moderat , 
 thickening of the shoe on the side on which the evi 
 appears. The utmost caution is necessary to kee; i 
 the part as cool as possible, and the remedies alread; 
 recommended for weak sinews and sore shins are ap 
 plicable. 
 
 The injuries to which the legs and feet of hunter | 
 are most subject, are occasioned by bruises, stubs 
 thorns, and over-reaches. Hunters experience mam 
 blows by striking against stakes, timber, stone walls 
 and such like obstructions, although their riders d<j 
 not always discover the accidents at the time the] 
 happen. The excitement which prevails, and the higl 
 courage of the animals, very often prevents theiJ 
 giving any evidence of such catastrophes, but unmis ; 
 takeable symptoms will be discovered when they re 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 141 
 
 jrn to the stables, if not on their road home, Wounds 
 om stubs, thorns, and over-reaches occur under 
 milar circumstances. The most advisable and the 
 feually adopted practice of fomenting the legs in 
 arm water is the best remedy for all these injuries ; 
 pd after the legs have been thoroughly cleaned by 
 he ablution, a careful search should be made to as- 
 brtain if any, and what, accident may have taken place, 
 rhe application of flannel bandages very generally 
 hd very properly follows the fomentation, in which 
 kse they should be put on quite loose, that they may 
 bt have the effect of forcing any thorns deeper into 
 he part; their intention is merely to keep up the 
 jrculation, and absorb the moisture during the time 
 F dressing, when they should be taken off. Any 
 Htiries will then most probably give evidence of 
 heir existence if they have not been previously dis- 
 bvered. Blows or bruises require continued fomen- 
 Itions, which are advantageously succeeded by poul- 
 bes, and subsequently by cooling remedies. If 
 tare be any thorns, they should if possible be care- 
 Illy extracted with a pair of tweezers. It is im- 
 prtant that the points of the thorns be examined 
 I ascertain if they be broken off, or if any of 
 le bark or other particles of the intruding sub- 
 lances remain behind; in which cases, as also in 
 ose where the thorns cannot be removed, poul- 
 3es are necessary. Not un frequently it happens 
 iat the parts swell, by which the heads of thorns 
 icome so buried that it is impossible to remove 
 
142 STABLE TRACTICE. 
 
 them until the enlargement is reduced; and thorn 
 will often remain in without occasioning any incon 
 venience. The legs of old hunters when examine 
 after death will frequently be found to have man 
 thorns in them. Stubs in general occasion more ex 
 tensive lacerated wounds. It is necessary to ascertair 
 as soon as possible, if any portion of a stub remain 
 in the wound ; in which case, it must be removed b 
 operative means, if possible ; otherwise recourse mus 
 be had to poultices. In these cases, great benef 
 will be found from the use of cold w T ater very fr( 
 quently applied with a sponge, and this will gen< 
 rally effect a cure without the assistance of any oth( 
 measures. The contusion which usually accompani< 
 an over-reach occasions much inflammation, and consi 
 quent soreness. There is, very often, a portion of tl 
 skin torn, the remainder of which requires to be ci 
 away, as it is perfectly certain it will not reunite. Tl 
 treatment recommended for other injuries, name, 
 fomentations, may be adopted in the first instance 
 but on the following day the refrigerating effects < 
 cold water will materially facilitate a restoration ■ 
 soundness. 
 
 Much heat, generally accompanied with enlarg 
 ment, is sometimes found to exist in the pasteij 
 joints, when horses have been doing a considerab 
 portion of work, especially if the ground be bar 
 These joints, like all others, are supplied with synjj 
 via, an oily kind of fluid, intended to lubricate tlj 
 parts, and prevent attrition. In these cases, tlfl 
 synovia is not secreted in sufficient quantities; or,:j 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 143 
 
 tlicr words, it is not equivalent to the attrition 
 scasioned by the work ; and as the secretion of 
 arious fluids is not similarly abundant in all animals, 
 will readily be understood why they cannot all 
 □dure the same proportion of work without evincing 
 lese symptoms. Horses, more particularly aged 
 aes, after having performed much labour when thus 
 [flicted, generally give unequivocal notice of this 
 eficiency, by a stiffness of action most observable 
 hen first brought out of the stable. Sometimes it 
 ill go off when the circulation is excited ; in some 
 ises, they will continue to go short in their gallop. 
 Nothing without rest will restore the limbs to their 
 rimitive freedom ; and even that cannot be reason- 
 }ly expected after a great excess of work. Nature, 
 i these cases, demands a sacrifice ; and if not timely 
 fered, the animals so affected will soon become use- 
 ss, — at least, for racing purposes. With rest must 
 e combined cooling remedies, and eventually stimu- 
 ints, to rouse the absorbent vessels to increased 
 ption. 
 
 I With the exception of the hocks, the hind legs are 
 ss susceptible of injury than the fore ones. Spavins 
 id curbs are so universally known as to require no 
 jiinute description ; the former, however, are some- 
 jmes so trifling in size as to require much discrimi- 
 jation to decide upon their existence, although the 
 pimal gives unequivocal tokens of lameness. In their 
 iifant state they may, perhaps, be cured by repeated 
 -isters, composed of cantharides or the biniodide of 
 ercury, previously recommended. These failing, 
 
144 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the actual cautery is the only alternative, and evei 
 that is not in all cases successful. 
 
 Many horses suffer seriously from cracked heels 
 and appear to be most susceptible during the las 
 preparation, just when they are in a fit state to rur 
 Various causes can be assigned for their appeal 
 ance ; one of which is, the highly excited state c 
 the body, when the superabundant humours, flowin 
 into the legs, must have a medium of escape. Th 
 perspiration lodging in the heels, without bein 
 carefully cleansed, will also produce them. The 
 will often break out in the heels of hunters an 
 other horses used for ordinary work, from the hai 
 being cut away. Carefully washing them wit 
 warm water and soap, and the application of a coo 
 ing emollient ointment, generally effects a cur< 
 There are many ointments adapted for this purposi 
 each of which has its advocates; as, for example 
 camphorated spermaceti ointment, mercurial oinl 
 ment, and white lead ointment, — the latter of whic 
 has an additional property over the others, from il 
 power of shielding the part from dirt. Poultices ar 
 sometimes required to assist the cure ; but when th 
 heels get into that condition, it may generally b 
 inferred that due care has not been observed to pre 
 vent it, unless the horse is in a very foul state c 
 body, and in want of physic. The following appli 
 cation I have found very effective ; it combines th 
 advantages of a poultice with ingredients calculate' 
 to promote a cure, and will serve as a dressing thre 
 or four times : — 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 145 
 
 For Cracked Heels. 
 
 Oatmeal * pint. "] To be made into a cataplasm, and fas- 
 
 Honey and lard (each) \ lb. J- tened on the heel with a piece of linen. 
 Alum 2 ounces. J This is sufficient for two heels. 
 
 Having noticed the different parts of the le«\s 
 which are most susceptible of inflammatory ailments, 
 and enumerated individually the relative causes 
 which superinduce certain parts to become disordered, 
 It is here necessary to introduce a few words on the 
 general treatment conducive to the prevention of such 
 serious defects. I have, in the " Stud Farm " and 
 other parts of this work, endeavoured to impress my 
 readers with the advantages arising from strict atten- 
 tion to the selection of those kinds of food, for youno- 
 stock, which have a tendency to produce the firmest 
 texture of muscle and sinew, as that will, in a great 
 measure, operate in averting many of the evils which 
 have been treated upon in this chapter ; and as food 
 has precisely the same effect upon the ligaments, 
 tendons, and muscles in one part of the body as 
 another, the importance to be attached to this hint 
 will be clearly understood. Every person who has 
 watched the condition of horses when they are fed 
 and worked with green food in the summer, must be 
 aware of the effect it has upon them, by the effusions 
 which are invariably visible in the legs. This is 
 occasioned by the peculiar quality of the food, which 
 forms an overabundant supply of bad blood. Surely 
 ei moment's reflection will operate as a warning to 
 refrain from giving green, succulent food to horses 
 L 
 
146 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 when they are required to perform active labour. 
 At the same time, it must be remembered that food 
 alone will not accomplish these favourable results, 
 unless it be assisted with exercise proportioned to 
 the as;e and strength of the animals. I have known 
 some breeders of racing stock keep their yearlings 
 and two year olds on the very best kinds of food, 
 without giving them any exercise whatever beyond 
 the precincts of a loose box and a very small yard. 
 These animals scarcely bore the process of breaking ; 
 and, when put into training, gave way in some part 
 or parts most essential to their physical powers. An 
 advocate of the principle which I must strongly con- 
 demn, told me several years since, that he should not 
 rest contented until he had won a Derby with a colt 
 treated according to his views. He has, since then, 
 bred a great many, most of which have been trained, 
 but not one of them has been able to win the most 
 insignificant weight for age stake. 
 
 Horses, w T hen taking their exercise, but more fre- 
 quently when running, are liable to bruise the soles 
 of their feet, particularly when the ground is hard, 
 or a stone happens to be in their path. The plates 
 used for racing present no protection whatever in 
 the way of cover to the soles of the feet ; and the 
 ordinary shoes, unless made w T ider in the web and 
 heavier than is desirable, leave a great portion of' 
 the soles uncovered. The effect of a bruise on the 
 foot, unless it be severe, will not always occasion 
 perceptible lameness, though it will create a degree 
 of soreness and heat, which generally increases, 
 unless proper remedies are made use of to counteract 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 147 
 
 the mischief; and there is frequently a difficulty in 
 determining immediately when such accidents have 
 occurred, until a repetition has taken place, or the 
 inflammatory action produces unequivocal evidence. 
 When there is reason to imagine that the foot has 
 Ibeen bruised, fomentations of warm water must be 
 frequently made use of; and a light shoe, with as 
 irauch covering as can be conveniently used, will be a 
 imeans of protecting the part from a repetition of the 
 injury. For the sake of rendering the sole more 
 jtough, and to promote its growth, the tar ointment, 
 for which a recipe is given at page 92. of the " Stud 
 Farm," should be applied daily, or every alternate 
 pay. The softest ground should, in such cases, be 
 selected for exercise, and great care taken to remove 
 ithe dirt from between the web of the shoe and the 
 isole of the foot when the animal returns to the 
 stable, — a precaution which should at all times be 
 taken, but more especially under these circumstances. 
 When horses are observed to go tenderly upon their 
 feet, as if they were treading upon hot bricks, there 
 is reason to suspect that repeated bruises or concus- 
 sion has occasioned inflammation, or, probably, the 
 shoes may be nailed on too firmly ; but, whatever 
 jthe cause may be, it is highly necessary to institute 
 |an investigation, remove the evil, and apply a remedy 
 suitable to the case. 
 
 The necessity for substituting plates in the place 
 of the ordinary shoes, when horses are about to run, 
 entails a vast amount of wear and tear to the feet of 
 race-horses, which, unfortunately, are usually of a 
 
 L 2 
 
148 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 delicate texture. This circumstance renders it the 
 more imperative to adopt every means of keeping 
 them in the best order their respective properties 
 admit. The nature or texture of the feet varies so 
 essentially in different horses, that the treatment 
 applicable in some cases would be very detrimental 
 in others. For example, those feet, the soles and 
 hoofs of which are very thin, require but little if any 
 moisture, because they are already too soft ; these 
 soles are not sufficiently strong to protect the sensitive 
 part of the foot. The frequent use of the tar oint- 
 ment, and stopping with pads of dry tow, will pre- 
 serve such feet in the best order. On the other 
 hand, those feet which secrete a great proportion oi 
 sole and crust demand the assistance of moisture, 
 which is most conveniently supplied to the soles with 
 pads of tow saturated with water, to which a small 
 quantity of salt may be added with good effect. The 
 shoes should be frequently removed in order to pan 
 away so much of the soles as to admit of pliability ; 
 and if the crust or hoof is overabundant, it is some- 
 times advisable to reduce it moderately with the rasp ; 
 but this operation is to be performed with caution 
 In this respect, likewise, the two kinds of feet demanc 
 opposite modes of treatment. The first-named car 
 scarcely have their shoes removed too seldom ; anc 
 neither the sole nor the crust can bear any reduction 
 beyond that of clearing away the ragged portions 
 The feet already mentioned may be denominated bac 
 feet, possessing opposite characters ;. and good fee 1 
 are the happy medium between the two extremes 
 the healthv condition of which will generally b< 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE LEGS AND FEET. 149 
 
 maintained by treatment equivalent to that medium. 
 Hence, when new shoes are applied, old ones re- 
 moved, or plates put on, the soles require only to be 
 reduced to a moderate extent, — the crust or quarters 
 seldom if ever demanding the use of "the rasp, — and 
 occasional dressing with the tar ointment, not for- 
 getting, however, the advantages which will be de- 
 rived from stopping with tow, especially after sweat- 
 ing or strong galloping exercise. Hunters should 
 invariably have their feet stopped on the night after 
 [hunting. In all cases, frequent inspections of the 
 [feet should be made, when their appearance will 
 [indicate the treatment they require. The best 
 feet will soon get out of order if neglected; while 
 those which are naturally very indifferent, may be 
 ikept fit for service by proper attention. After the 
 shoes have been removed, the feet should be im- 
 mediately immersed in water, — to the depth of 
 about two inches, — whereby a slight incrustation of 
 rust is produced between the nails and the holes in 
 the shoes, in case there is any space for such an 
 action to take place, by which means the nails be- 
 come more firmly attached to the shoe, and there- 
 fore less liable to cause the crust to break away. It 
 is also very requisite to caution the smith not to 
 drive the nails too hard, — a custom which many 
 country workmen adopt with hunters, in order, as 
 they fancy, to prevent the shoes from being pulled 
 off; an effect which it may have in some cases : but it 
 more frequently produces a more serious result — 
 that of laming the animal so treated. 
 
 L 3 
 
50 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. XIV 
 
 The Importance of good Shoeing. — Perceptible Improvement in 
 the Art. — Navicular Lameness less frequent. — Causes. — Heavy 
 Shoes deprecated. — Effects of Horses slipping. — Casualties in the 
 Hunting Field from slipping. — Descriptions of Shoes calculated to 
 prevent Horses, from slipping. — Shoes for the hind Feet. — Re- 
 marks on Shoes. — Corns. — Racing Plates. — Plating Steeple- ' 
 chasers. — Light Shoes recommended. 
 
 The very great importance of the healthy condition 
 of the feet, in their connection with the shoes, renders 
 it necessary for every person concerned in the ma- 
 nagement of horses, or interested in the use of them, 
 to devote some attention to this subject The 
 soundest and the strongest feet may be easily injured 
 by bad shoeing ; but it speaks well for the march of 
 improvement that has taken place within the last 
 quarter of a century, that there are now so few 
 horses in any class afflicted with painful and in- 
 curable lameness from affections of the navicular 
 bone. There are several causes to which the alle- 
 viation of the disorder may be attributed; namely, 
 the improvement of the roads, a better method 
 of treating the feet generally, and a consider- 
 able advancement in the art of shoeing. Many 
 horses become lame in their feet when they are put 
 to work, from causes which have their origin in 
 
SHOEING. 151 
 
 neglect at an earlier period of their lives, when inci- 
 pient disorganisation is established ; but not being so 
 extensive as to render them lame at the time, no 
 notice is taken of it till work produces unequivocal 
 testimony of its presence. 
 
 An unnecessary weight of metal is an incumbrance 
 from which all horses ought to be exonerated ; race- 
 I horses and hunters more especially. A heavy shoe 
 is frequently the cause of a blow on the leg from the 
 opposite foot. Horses in training, as they seldom 
 imove far except on the turf, cannot require such 
 •unnecessary appendages. Any description of shoe 
 which will prevent horses from slipping in their 
 i gallop is to be recommended. Every person gifted 
 i with ordinary observation, who has been accustomed 
 to ride horses at a fast pace, whether it be in racing, 
 t hunting, or training, must have experienced the ex- 
 ertions made by them to avoid slipping, or rather to 
 recover themselves after such a casualty has happened. 
 The racing plate is as well adapted to prevent this as 
 I imagine any form cr construction of equal lightness 
 can be ; nevertheless, on some kinds of soil, after a 
 certain quantity of rain, horses must encounter that 
 difficulty, because a portion of the earth adheres to 
 the feet. A similar consequence takes place in the 
 hunting field, but the land is not always in that state ; 
 and such are the varieties of soil, that you may 
 ride a given distance over a country where it is in 
 such a greasy state that your horse can scarcely 
 maintain his foothold, and in the next field find it per- 
 fectly sound and secure. The same argument is good 
 
 L 4 
 
152 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 with horses at exercise. A superior horseman may, 
 to a limited extent, by holding his horse well together, 
 assist the animal when in the act of slipping ; but as 
 race-horses are usually ridden, at their exercise, by 
 boys, who do not possess the knowledge or power to 
 afford them any assistance, the danger arising from 
 such casualties is more extensive. What can exceed 
 the anxiety of a trainer, when he has a horse engaged 
 in an important race, during the time he is perform- 
 ing his last sweats and gallops, fearful that every j 
 stride the animal makes he may lame himself, — an 
 accident which frequently occurs from slipping. Not 
 only are the feet in constant danger of sustaining in- 
 juries, but every muscle and sinew connected with 
 the horse's action is in constant jeopardy. Some 
 horses are much more liable to slip, when galloping, 
 than others ; of course that is in consequence of 
 peculiarity in their action ; and many such are ex- 
 ceedingly nervous and timid. They indicate their i 
 fear by breaking out into profuse perspiration the 
 moment they come in sight of the place where they 
 are accustomed to do their work ; — not but there are 
 other causes which render horses timid, but this is 
 one of them, and a very prevalent one. 
 
 In the hunting field, nine falls in ten are caused 
 by horses slipping at their fences when about to 
 effect their spring : sometimes it arises from the state 
 of the ground, as already noticed, and from banks 
 giving way, which no system of shoeing can prevent ; 
 but these accidents are most frequently to be traced 
 to the insecure footing which horses experience from 
 
SHOEING. 153 
 
 ieir shoes. Every man who has had experience in 
 ding to hounds is aware of the great exertions 
 inch horses frequently make when fences pre- 
 3nt themselves, in order to avoid slipping, as they 
 ise to leap those fences; the danger is greatly 
 lcreased if uneven or sloping surfaces receive them 
 n the further side ; and they often fall from such 
 auses. When a wide blind ditch obstructs the 
 rogress, though scarcely ever perceptible till the 
 nimal is taking his spring to clear it, how frequently, 
 /hen making a great effort to do so, does the exertion 
 ause the feet to slip, when a fall is inevitable. Brook 
 imping is even more subject to this inconvenience, 
 ecause, from the nature of the banks, — they being 
 sually wet, if not boggy, — horses are very liable to 
 e disappointed when taking their spring ; and as 
 lere is no chance of clearing a wide brook without 
 he impetus acquired by the speed at which the 
 mpediment is encountered, every aid should be 
 fforded to the animal, unless the rider delights in 
 jhose little amphibious exhibitions, which occasion 
 ast amusement to more successful rivals. There is 
 flso another circumstance, which must not pass un- 
 loticed. When horses which are ridden across the 
 jountry are slipping and sprawling about, inde- 
 pendent of the danger to themselves and their riders, 
 hey tire so much sooner than those which go 
 lollectedly ; and this is one reason why some animals 
 ivince such vast superiority in point of endurance 
 |»ver others. There are many that will go brilliantly 
 n a burst of fifteen minutes, but cannot go longer ; 
 
154 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 not from any want of judgment on the part of thei 
 riders, but from the very cause now under notice,— 
 they are so addicted to slipping as they gallop, tha 
 they tire from the extra labour called into requisition 
 to prevent falling. 
 
 Several forms of shoes have been devised to pre 
 vent horses from slipping ; but there are only foui 
 that I am aware of, applicable to race-horses am 
 hunters. The first, as they deserve the precedenc 
 in every respect, are those made by patented ma 
 chinery, the. invention of Mr. Rodway, of Birming 
 ham. They are made of wrought iron, the only mate 
 rial hitherto discovered applicable for the purpose c 
 shoeing horses. By means of machinery they ar 
 formed into moulds, in which state they are sent on 
 to be finished and fitted to the feet. The foot sui 
 faces are precisely of the form which all well-shape 
 shoes ought to be : the ground surfaces are hollo we 
 or grooved out, which produces the great desideratur 
 of preventing horses from slipping, as much as a sho 
 can be the means of preventing such casualties. Ad 
 other merit which they possess, is that of bein: 
 lighter than the common shoes. It must be remem 
 bered, however, they are not well adapted for th 
 hind feet, for which the shoes require to be essentiall; 
 different from those suitable for the fore feet. Th 
 next to these are the concave shoes ; but they are no 
 adapted for horses with thin soles, or wide flat feet 
 neither do they afford as much security from slipping 
 as the first mentioned. They are similar to th 
 common shoes, except that they cannot be made wit! 
 
SHOEING. l ^5 
 
 ) much seating ; hence one reason why they are not 
 pplicable for thin soles and flat feet : and they differ 
 •om the former in having the ground surface of 
 ie web bevelled down ; but that should not be con- 
 .nued further than about the last half inch towards 
 tie heel, so that it may form a kind of stop or resist- 
 nce when a horse is in the act of slipping. The same 
 ray of finishing the heels of Rodway's shoes is like- 
 rise to be recommended. The concave shoes are 
 nly suitable for race-horses with good feet, and 
 ranters in a grass country. Another form of shoes 
 - but they are not very commonly known, al- 
 bough I saw them made by a country smith, in 
 Shropshire, thirty years ago —will be most readily 
 escribed by comparing them to a very thin shoe of 
 he ordinary kind, with a racing plate forged on the 
 uter rim. They are rather difficult to make with 
 ccuracy, as they require a tool or instrument 
 therewith the rim is forged. Their effect in pre- 
 senting horses from slipping is satisfactory ; but I 
 lo not think they are superior in that respect to 
 Rodway's ; and as the latter are lighter and less ex- 
 bensive, they certainly claim a preference. The other 
 construction of shoe, calculated to prevent slipping, 
 k the ordinary one, with the outer heel very slightly 
 jurned up, in a similar manner to a racing plate, 
 they appear, however, to possess an imperfection in 
 he possibility that they might occasion a twist or 
 vrench, from the circumstance of the outer heel only 
 oeing turned up ; on the other hand, as I used 
 them for many years, till Rodway's invention came 
 
156 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 out, without experiencing any inconvenience, thej 
 must not be condemned on that account. 
 
 As I have previously remarked, the hind shoe; 
 require to be made of a very different form from those 
 which are suitable to the fore feet. They are mucl 
 narrower in the web, and have usually a cawking o: 
 turning up on the outer heel ; a construction, how 
 ever, which I am not prepared to recommend on al 
 occasions ; and if that projection is formed, the inne: 
 heel should be made of corresponding thickness 
 The toes should be made straight, and that part o 
 the web bevelled down to the sole, for the purpose o: 
 avoiding an accident by pulling off a fore shoe ; an( 
 to prevent over-reaching, the toes of the shoes ough 
 not to extend quite so far as that part of the feet 
 The recommendation for making the toes of the hin( 
 shoes straight is obvious,— it affords a wider fulcrum 
 from whence horses take their spring in galloping 
 and leaping, but more particularly on the latter occa- 
 sion. When leaping, the toes of the hind feet an 
 the last to leave the ground, and, therefore, if th( 
 shoes be made round at the toes, there is only a poinl 
 from whence the final resistance can be obtained ; bul 
 if made straight, there is a bearing varying betweer 
 two and three inches. 
 
 Whatever construction of shoes may be determined 
 upon, it is of the greatest importance that the foot 
 surface presents a perfectly flat even bearing for the 
 crust to rest upon, as it is that part of the foot which 
 sustains the greater portion of the horse's weight. In 
 
SHOEING. 157 
 
 uct, when standing in the stable, it sustains the 
 hole of the weight, unless the feet be filled with 
 >w or some such substance. The situation of the 
 ail-holes is likewise a subject demanding attention. 
 Tone ought, on any account, to be admitted farther 
 ack towards the heels than the widest part, or, 
 1 other words, the centre of the feet; and their 
 roper position in the shoe is in the surface upon 
 r hich the crust rests, where they should be punched 
 3liquely outwards, and their distance from the 
 uter edge of the shoes regulated by the thick- 
 ess of the crust with which the respective feet are 
 lrnished, so that when the nails are driven they 
 lay secure a very small portion of the sole. Punch- 
 ig the holes obliquely outwards is of great import- 
 nce : with that direction given to the nails they will 
 raw outwards in the crust, without depending en- 
 irely upon the pointing of the nails to effect that 
 bject. Thus, by attention to this, the shanks of 
 be nails will be perfectly straight ; whereas, if the 
 loles be punched straight into the shoe, there will be 
 i slight bend or curve in the shanks of the nails, 
 nless they are brought out very high up in the hoof, 
 —an exceedingly objectionable custom, because that 
 )ortion of the hoof below where the nails pass is 
 amazed. 
 
 The proper length of the heels is of very great im- 
 )ortance, particularly to hunters ; if the shoes be too 
 jong, they will almost to a certainty be drawn off': 
 ;he width at the quarters is equally important from 
 
158 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the same cause. In either case, if the shoes project 
 beyond the corresponding parts of the feet, the 
 slightest over-reach will do the mischief. 
 
 Great inconvenience is sustained from corns, whicl: 
 may be ascribed to two causes— peculiar formation o\ 
 the feet, and bad shoeing. In either case they an 
 formed by extravasations of blood, which is depo- 
 sited in the corners of the heels : this may be occa- 
 sioned by the form and position of the coffin bone 
 by the nails being placed too far back, and by the 
 shoes pressing on the heels, They will sometime: 
 exist without producing lameness; at other time; 
 they will cause great pain : it is therefore advisable 
 whenever the shoes are removed, to examine the part 
 and if any symptoms appear, cut them away, dres 
 them with tar ointment, and relieve that portion o 
 the foot from pressure. 
 
 The difficulty of securing racing plates to the feet 
 in consequence of their slender make, frequently 
 induces smiths to extend the nails too near thi 
 heels, which causes pain more or less acute, com 
 pelling horses, so treated, to go short, in some in 
 stances, absolutely lame. To obviate this, it is fa 
 better to make the plates stronger ; and on all occa 
 sions their substance should be adapted to the size o 
 the foot. Nailing them on too tight has also i\ 
 similar effect. Horses with very thin feet, when th< 
 ground is hard, would run better in light shoes thai 
 plates ; but such is the effect of custom, that if J 
 horse were started in that way, and had not the goocj 
 fortune to win, the ever suspicious public woul( 
 
SHOEING. 159 
 
 ittribute the defeat to design on the part of the 
 >wner or trainer. 
 
 For steeple-chasing, plates are in some cases 
 >erfectly out of place. Horses with very strong 
 ieet, when the country is nearly all grass, will go 
 veil in them ; but those which have tender feet re- 
 quire more protection than a common racing plate 
 ffords. The very great diversity of country com- 
 aonly selected for the avowed purpose of trying the 
 aerits of horses, renders it impossible to calculate 
 »rhat the nature of the ground may be till it is shown, 
 ijtony fields and hard roads occur in most lines, by 
 saping on to which horses are liable to bruise their 
 eet considerably, unless they are properly protected. 
 The great exertions which animals are required 
 make, when engaged in these contests, render it 
 lecessary to afford them every assistance our in- 
 ;enuity can devise. Light shoes on Eodway's prin- 
 iple, or the common shoes already described, but of 
 ourse much lighter than for hunting, are admirably 
 dapted for steeple-chasing, and are for many kinds 
 If feet superior to plates. The variety of sub- 
 tances which horses may place their feet in contact 
 rith, when steeple-chasing, must show the propriety 
 f being prepared to encounter such impediments as 
 lay occasion even momentary pain. 
 
160 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 BANDAGES AND BOOTS. 
 
 Prejudice confuted. — Materials. — Dry Bandages. — Their Use an 
 Effects after washing the Legs. — Their Use and Effects sul 
 sequently. — Benefits derived from Bandages. — Linen Bandage 
 
 — Cold Water. — Cooling Lotion. — Mode of applying it. — Col 
 Bandages for Exercise. — Recommended for Hunters. — Trea 
 ment of the Legs of Hunters after severe Work. — Distinction fo 
 tween warm Woollen Bandages and cold Linen Ones. — Prop 
 Method of adjusting Bandages. — Bandages or Boots for Exercis j 
 
 — Merits and Demerits of each compared. — Indian Rubber Bool , 
 
 — Objections to them.— A Case in point— Best description of Boc 
 for Hunters. 
 
 The difference between use and abuse cannot I 
 better brought out than in the matter now und( 
 consideration. A prejudice exists with many persoi 
 against the advantages of bandages for horses' leg 
 arising from an improper or careless mode of appi} 
 ing them, or from selecting a material not calculate 
 for the particular purpose. Hence, by using thofj 
 which are improper as remedies for specific ailment 
 ill effects are produced, and the apparatus condemne 
 without judge or jury. The materials of whic 
 bandages are formed, are woollen serge or flanne 
 linen, and chamois leather ; and as these are capatt 
 of producing very different effects, dependent upo 
 the manner in which they are applied, it become 
 
BANDAGES AND BOOTS. 161 
 
 necessary to consider how they act, and make the 
 selection according to the nature of the case. 
 
 Dry woollen bandages are employed for horses' 
 legs when they return to their stables from exercise 
 or work, immediately after the legs have been 
 washed : in this case, they are only suffered to re- 
 main on during the time the horse's body is being 
 dressed, and should be put on quite loose. It may 
 or may not be advisable to keep the legs bandaged ; 
 but, under any circumstances, they should be taken 
 off after the body is dressed, that the legs may be 
 brushed and well hand-rubbed. Their effect, when 
 used immediately after washing the legs, will be to 
 maintain warmth in the extremities, and to absorb 
 the moisture left by the ablution. When bandages 
 are applied to the legs after they have been made 
 quite dry, it is to prevent their swelling, or — in 
 more familiar stable lingo — filling ; the cause of 
 which frequently arises from irregular circulation, — 
 that is, the arterial force is more energetic than the 
 venous and absorbent systems ; consequently, the 
 arterial blood is thrown out to the extremities more 
 copiously than the veins have the power of returning 
 it, or the absorbents of carrying off their appointed 
 portions. In these cases, the veins become suffused 
 with blood, often to a painful, and, in some instances, 
 to a dangerous, extent, when cracked heels, and such 
 like vexatious nuisances, become the outlets for those 
 superfluities which the absorbents cannot accommo- 
 date. As, however, cracked heels arise also from 
 other causes, it is unnecessary to treat of them in 
 
 M 
 
162 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 this chapter, as they are noticed in that which is de- 
 voted to the Management of Legs and Feet. 
 
 When dry woollen bandages are properly adjusted, 
 they act beneficially in various ways. By their 
 warmth they stimulate the venous system to action, 
 and, by the moderate pressure which they produce, 
 they have a similar effect on the absorbents. This 
 explains the necessity of devoting great care in their 
 application ; if irregularly put on, they will have an 
 injurious effect, acting as a ligature to a vein: the 
 bandage will prevent the return of blood in a similar 
 way to that used by a surgeon when he bleeds his 
 patient in the arm, or the pressure on the vein of a 
 horse when he undergoes a similar operation. It 
 must therefore be seen how great is the importance 
 of having bandages firmly and regularly adjusted 
 when they are intended as remedies for swellings of 
 the legs. The best material for woollen bandages is 
 the serge made for the express purpose, as it has a 
 selvedge, which is more even and elastic, at the 
 same time firmer than flannel, which must be sewn 
 over or hemmed. 
 
 As the benefits to be derived from the use of a 
 bandage depend entirely upon the way in which it 
 is adjusted, it is necessary to be minute in the 
 directions for putting it on. This cannot be done 
 properly unless it is first carefully rolled up, and in 
 this operation it must be made quite tight and even. 
 It is then to be taken in the right hand, and with the 
 left the end of the bandage is held to the horse's leg, 
 about midway between the knee and the pastern; the 
 
BANDAGES AND BOOTS, 163 
 
 next turn laps over that end, when the bandage is to 
 be worked up to the knee, great care being taken to 
 keep it quite even ; it is then to be gradually carried 
 downwards to the pastern joint, and tied round the 
 pastern. This is not the usual place- for securing it, 
 but I will offer reasons for adopting it. If it be tied 
 round the leg, and the bandage slips from the horse 
 rubbing it, or any other accidental cause, or if the 
 leg fills, the tape becomes a ligature, which it is most 
 important to avoid: being tied round the pastern, 
 that being the lowest and smallest part, such a mis- 
 adventure cannot occur. 
 
 Linen bandages are only serviceable as agents 
 for the application of cooling lotions; and to pro- 
 duce the desired effect, great care is necessary. If 
 i wet linen bandage be permitted to become dry 
 t acts as a stimulant, and instead of cooling it in- 
 lames the leg, more particularly if saturated with 
 ■efrigerating lotion, composed of the usual ingredi- 
 ents ; namely, nitre, sal ammoniac, and salt, which, 
 laving expended their powers of evaporation, become 
 timuiants. It is for this reason that simple cold 
 rater is often more beneficial than medicated lotions, 
 ot because the water is more powerful in its pro- 
 erties of evaporation, — in fact, it is not by many 
 egrees so much so, — but because, when it has ceased 
 ) produce evaporation, it does not act as a stimulant, 
 Ithough it must be remembered that the linen hand- 
 le, when it becomes dry, has that effect to a cer- 
 tin extent, from the heat which it occasions. When 
 
164 STABLE PKACTICE. 
 
 properly attended to, the best effects will be pro- 
 duced by cooling lotions composed as follows : — 
 
 Sal Ammoniac 
 Common Salt 
 
 Nitre 
 
 Water - 1 pint. 
 
 }in powder, \ 
 each J 
 
 In using this lotion, the mixture should be applied 
 immediately that it is prepared, because it is during 
 solution that the powers of evaporation exist, and it 
 should be renewed as often as the bandage becomes 
 warm. This will necessarily interfere with stable 
 hours, — that is to say, a horse cannot be shut up 
 during the usual periods, otherwise the bandages 
 will not only become warm, but they will become 
 dry, and a stimulating effect will . be produced, as 
 already mentioned. When extensive heat or inflam- 
 mation is to be subdued, it is most advisable to apply 
 the lotion with cloths fastened loosely on the part;! 
 and it should also be remembered, that when linen 
 bandages are used for this purpose, they should 
 always be put on quite loose. 
 
 I have witnessed great benefit from cold band- 
 ages for horses when at exercise, particularly for; 
 hunters; the action of which I will endeavour to 
 explain. The ingredients of which the lotion is 
 composed being refrigerant, from the faculty they 
 possess of evaporation, are greatly assisted in their 
 operation by the cooling effect of atmospheric air ; 
 consequently, they act more powerfully out of than 
 in the stable. I am not advocating this plan for 
 horses when they are to gallop ; but, indeed, when 
 
BANDAGES AND BOOTS. 165 
 
 they require cold bandages, it is not, in general, 
 prudent to give them much fast work. Hunters, 
 whose legs have been knocked about, and race- 
 horses, on the days they are not required to take 
 galloping exercise, if their legs demand the use of 
 cooling remedies, derive great benefit from the appli- 
 cation. Bandages made of chamois leather are 
 admirably adapted for this purpose. 
 
 Old hunters, whose joints suffer from stiffness after 
 a hard day's work with hounds, obtain great relief 
 from the application of woollen bandages wrung out of 
 warm water, which are to be left on all night. They 
 are put on after the legs have been well fomented 
 with warm water, and thus operate as a kind of 
 poultice, whereby the vessels are temporarily relaxed. 
 It must be observed, a woollen bandage applied in 
 this manner is essentially different in its effects from 
 a linen one saturated with a refrigerating lotion, 
 which, as I have already stated, after a certain time, 
 becomes stimulative. 
 
 For the purpose of affording protection to the legs 
 when at exercise, either boots or bandages are made 
 use of. Many horses absolutely require them, because 
 they scarcely move in some of their paces without 
 striking the foot against the opposite leg at some part 
 or other, between the knee and the fetlock. With 
 them it is almost unnecessary to intimate how soon 
 inflammation will be established, and lameness pro- 
 duced, unless some artificial means of avoiding the 
 injury be introduced. There are various opinions 
 on the question, whether boots or bandages are best 
 
 M 3 
 
166 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 calculated for the purpose ; it is necessary, therefore, 
 to discuss the merits and demerits of each. The ob- 
 jections to boots are these : they become hard from 
 the frequent exposure to wet and the accumulation 
 of perspiration to which they are subject ; and, with 
 all the care that can be bestowed upon them, some 
 dirt will work into the texture of the serge with 
 which they are lined ; and when wet, they are not 
 readily dried. Without very frequent inspection, 
 their hardness and, consequently, their inaptitude to 
 save the legs from injury, is not discovered till the I 
 legs proclaim the fact ; for it would be vain to 
 expect that the boys who daily make use of them will . 
 give any intimation that they require fresh lining. | 
 While they are new, or when they have been re- 
 cently lined, if properly padded, they afford thes 
 necessary protection; but by a little neglect in 
 thoroughly drying and brushing them, they very 
 soon fall into a state unfit for use. The mode oil 
 fastening them on, by means of straps and buckles, 
 is open to objection, because if one strap be drawn 
 too tight, if only bygone hole, it produces an uneven 
 pressure on the part of the limb where it is situated ; 
 and unless they are buckled on tolerably tight, they i 
 will turn round. With respect to bandages, the 
 chief objection lies in the nicety required in putting j 
 them on, and that can only be overcome by strict 
 attention in teaching the boys how to adjust them — 
 the eye will readily detect whether the instructions] 
 have been followed. Bandages are easily dried, andj 
 
BANDAGES AND BOOTS. 167 
 
 may be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water from 
 all accumulations of perspiration and dirt. They 
 also afford some trifling support to the sinews. Under 
 these circumstances, I think the vote will be given in 
 favour of bandages. 
 
 There are many hunters requiring protection to 
 their legs, some because they strike them with their 
 opposite feet, others in consequence of weakness in 
 the back sinews, or the suspensory ligaments. For 
 these purposes, bandages would be unsightly and 
 inconvenient; the question, therefore, ensues, what 
 is the best description of boot? That will be de- 
 termined in a great measure by the nature of the 
 case. Those horses which hit themselves only on 
 their fetlock joints require tha f part alone to be pro- 
 tected, which is most neatly and readily accomplished 
 by means of a narrow piece of leather, cut just long 
 enough to surround the joint, having a strap with a 
 buckle on the outside running through four loops^ 
 one of which is placed about three quarters of an inch 
 from each end. This need not be buckled on very 
 tight (a great objection), because, if it turns round, it 
 still continues to guard the part. As for speedy cut 
 boots, a horse requiring such apparatus can scarcely 
 be worthy of stable room ; and it is, therefore, useless 
 to waste time on the subject. The old fashioned 
 leather boot formerly used for hunters which hit 
 their legs between the knee and the fetlock, or re- 
 quire support to their sinews, is superseded by those 
 of elastic Indian rubber fabric, which are not per- 
 il 4 
 
 
168 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 feet, from the fact that they contract or collapse 
 with cold, and expand with heat ; therefore, when a 
 horse is standing by a covert, half way up to his 
 knees in clay, they will become painfully tight ; and 
 when he becomes warm by galloping, and requires 
 the support which the boots are intended to provide, 
 they become relaxed, and for that purpose useless, 
 as I myself have experienced. I had been sitting on 
 my horse some considerable time in Austey Wood; 
 which all those who have hunted in Warwickshire 
 are aware is intersected with rides of a very wet 
 nature. My horse had on a pair of the Indian rub- 
 ber boots : at length the fox broke covert, when I 
 found, to my surprise and mortification, that my horse 
 was completely crippled. At first I could not ima- 
 gine the cause ; but a friend who was passing me in 
 my difficulty suggested it was the boots ; upon which 
 I immediately dismounted and cut them off, when 
 the poor horse went as well as ever. I have never 
 repeated the experiment. 
 
 The most appropriate boots for these purposes are 
 made of kersey, the colour of which may be regu- 
 lated by that of the legs. They should be nicely 
 lined, and fitted on with laces : if properly cut, they 
 afford a support similar to bandages, and are as little 
 unsightly as such contrivances can be. 
 
169 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 CLOTHING. 
 
 >isplay of Taste. — Colours. — Texture. — Shape. — Material for 
 • Sweaters. — Stable Suits. — Precaution against Dampness. — 
 j Rollers, and then Adjustment Tearing the Clothing. — Pre- 
 ventives. — Example. — Crib-biting. — Remedies. — An incor- 
 i rigible Crib-biter. 
 
 Cms very necessary portion of the appointments 
 onnected with the stable admits to a considerable 
 ixtent a display of taste on the part of the pro- 
 prietor ; nevertheless, there are certain considerations 
 if convenience and utility which fashion and a desire 
 (or novelty should not be allowed to overrule. For 
 acing purposes, light tints usually prevail, or — more 
 n keeping with uniformity — those which assimilate 
 yith the colours of the cap and jacket. The latter se- 
 ection is advantageous to the public, and enables 
 trangers to identify horses by the analogy of their 
 ivery. The light colours, so long as they are fresh and 
 lean, have a superiority in appearance to the dark 
 >nes ; but when the gloss of newness is worn off, the 
 atter are preferable ; nothing looks more slovenly than 
 i suit of light-coloured clothing soiled with stains 
 vhen a horse is led out in it on a race-course. The tex- 
 ;ure requires to be adapted to the season of the year, 
 
170 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 or more properly, in this variable climate, to the stat< 
 of the atmosphere. In cold weather, a fine ligh 
 kersey will be appropriate ; but when the air become 
 hot, something of a thinner texture is required. Tha 
 which is made of serge is preferable to linen for thi 
 purpose, because the perspiration causes the forme 
 to become wet and cold ; besides which, not beinj 
 sufficiently elastic, it never fits nicely. The art o 
 cutting out clothing is a portion of the saddler' 
 business not always performed with good judgment 
 Quarter pieces require to be cut back at the point o ! 
 the withers, otherwise they rub the mane away, an« 
 cause the horse to appear as if he had been in harness 
 From that part they should be sloped forward, s 
 that the shoulders may be well covered. Muc i 
 nicety should be observed in the form of the hoods 
 for the appearance of the most symmetrically forme 
 horse is spoiled by clothing cut in bad proportions. 
 
 The best material for sweaters, as being thj 
 lightest, the warmest, and the most readily dried, i 
 the common rug. ''.For the body, the rug should b, 
 formed by cutting a piece out in the form of a hal 
 circle, commencing at the point of the withers ; thi 
 leaves a portion which admits of being fastens 
 across the chest by means of a strap and buckle, am 
 dispenses with the necessity of a breast cloth. A ruj 
 cut down the middle, with the two ends joine< 
 together, forms a breast sweater, occasionally require' 
 for horses which become loaded about the shoulder 
 and neck. 
 
 Bugs are likewise most suitable for horses to wea |J 
 
CLOTHING. 171 
 
 n their stables. The substance of this material 
 aries considerably ; but those which are of medium 
 jiickness are preferable: in the first place, very- 
 pick ones are too warm for summer use; in the 
 econd, they are not so readily dried"; and in the 
 finter, especially in the hunting stables, it is more 
 onvenient to use two of moderate thickness. The 
 iisensible perspiration which constantly escapes from 
 jorses will render the clothing in which they stand 
 hore or less damp ; that dampness will be found on 
 he outer rug when two are made use of, and the 
 Inderneath one will be perfectly dry. The outer 
 ne can, therefore, be very easily dried while horses 
 [re out at exercise, or being dressed ; moreover, the 
 hick rugs, with quarter pieces over them, are two 
 ^eavy for exercise. 
 
 Great inconvenience is occasioned by buckling the 
 •oilers, with which the clothing is secured when in 
 ihe stable, too tight. It is well known the injury 
 Krhich the fair sex inflict on their forms by tight 
 lacing, and this can scarcely be less injurious. A 
 •oiler buckled tight round the part where the heart 
 's situated cannot fail to be prejudicial to the action 
 [>f that very important member, and consequently 
 effect the circulation. To avoid this, ingenious de- 
 vices have been introduced in the way of springs and 
 £ndia rubber webbing ; but they cannot act satisfac- 
 torily, because when drawn sufficiently tight to keep 
 the clothing in place, the springs or tension of the 
 India rubber fabric must be so nearly expanded as 
 to render either ineffective. The purpose is more 
 
172 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 readily accomplished by means of a breast-girth fixei 
 to the rollers, with which it is impossible for tha 
 apparatus to slip back. 
 
 The propensity which many horses evince for mis ! 
 chief is exemplified in a trick of tearing their clothing 
 — a very expensive amusement, and one which it is ii 
 some instances difficult to check. Clothing made o 
 horsehair is in some cases made use of, but no I 
 with very satisfactory results, for some determine) 
 offenders will destroy that; moreover, it is of 
 harsh rough texture, calculated to produce irritatio: 
 ©i the skin, and, from that cause, promote the habil 
 A side stick — that is, a piece of ash, with a buckl 
 and strap at either end — is the most effectual remedj 
 one end of which is buckled to a loop on the rollei 
 the other to the head collar : this, if made of a prope 
 length, prevents a horse from turning his head suffi 
 ciently to reach the clothing which covers th 
 shoulders or any part behind ; but I very recentr 
 had a horse that was not deterred by that means 
 although I had a stick placed on each side. Bein< 
 curious to ascertain how he contrived to perform hi 
 trick, I watched him from a window when he wa 
 shut up, and discovered that he accomplished it h 
 throwing up that portion of his rug which was fast 
 ened over his chest with his knees, and catching i 
 with his mouth, tearing it away nearly as far back a 
 the roller. Having carved his clothing to his owij 
 fancy, I allowed him to wear it in that form, as tin 
 only alternative ; for if any portion was brought for 
 
CLOTHING. 173 
 
 vard sufficiently to enable him to reach it in the 
 nanner described, it was certain to be torn. 
 
 Another of the accomplishments to which some 
 lorses are prone, that of crib-biting, is generally pre- 
 ented by means of a broad strap round the neck. A 
 nuzzle with bars at the bottom, so that the subject 
 aay feed through that space, is sometimes used, but 
 no preventive of wind-sucking; in fact, it is 
 'ery likely to induce a crib- biter to adopt that habit. 
 i head collar has also been invented for a similar 
 purpose ; but I think the broad strap is preferable, 
 .t should always be taken off when the horse is 
 Irinking. 
 
 This very obnoxious habit is doubtless acquired 
 luring hours of idleness, when a variety of projec- 
 ions convenient to the animal's purpose are pre- 
 iented ; it is, therefore, important that all buildings 
 >ccupied by horses be free from inviting objects, 
 rhere are many degrees of crib-biting ; but unless 
 iffectually checked in its infancy, by allowing nothino- 
 o remain within reach, the habit usually increases, 
 .ndeed some horses are so determined in this pro- 
 pensity, that it is scarcely possible to prevent them 
 ven with the broad strap already named. I remem- 
 )er a hunter belonging to a master of foxhounds which 
 kmld not be deterred from this habit. He stood in 
 . stall, the manger of which was guarded with a re- 
 viving bar of iron, having little spikes inserted, like 
 . clievaux-de-frize. It had not been placed there a 
 \reek before the cunning brute set that at defiance, 
 
174 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 by taking up mouthfuls of litter and winding them oi 
 the bar, thus forming a nice protecting cushion. Th 
 effective remedy was then adopted, of keeping hie 
 in a loose box, with a small moveable trough for corn 
 but during the time he was feeding, it was necessar; 
 to have a man standing near him, or he would leav 
 off eating, to indulge in his bad propensity. Th 
 trough being removed, there was no kind of projec 
 tion which he could take hold of, and his hay wa 
 thrown down in a corner of the box. 
 
175 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 PHYSIC. 
 
 nportance of Physic. — Constitution to be consulted. — Circum- 
 stances which indicate the Propriety of giving Physic to Race- 
 horses. — Reference to Formula. — Circumstances which indicate 
 the Propriety of giving Physic to Hunters. — On Alteratives. — 
 Reference to the " Stud Farm." 
 
 ?HE great importance of physic for race-horses and 
 unters is so generally admitted, that it appears un- 
 necessary to enlarge on that topic, more especially as 
 
 have in the "Stud Farm" introduced the subject 
 rith. directions applicable to the management of all 
 worses prior to giving medicine, and during its opera- 
 ion, together with formulas for its preparation. 
 
 The only caution I shall presume to repeat is, that 
 tf not giving physic in strong doses. The first con- 
 lideration is to proportion the dose to the consti- 
 lution of the subject. On this head, experience is 
 he only monitor. Hearty-feeding — I may term 
 ibem gluttonous — horses are often very readily 
 jcted upon by purgative medicines ; and on the con- 
 irary, horses which are light feeders will sometimes 
 equire the most powerful remedies. With a strange 
 jorse whose constitution is not known, the safer plan 
 i the first instance is to besm with moderation. 
 
176 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 Horses in training generally require physic be 
 tween each preparation ; but whether it is advisabl 
 to give it at other periods must entirely depend upo 
 circumstances. If the very hard state of the groun 
 renders galloping a dangerous exercise, a mild dose ( 
 physic may sometimes stand in the place of a swes 
 with good effect, more especially if the legs gh 
 suspicious tokens. Any horse whose appearance ii 
 dicates that with a considerable portion of work he 
 acquiring fat, will in all probability be benefited I 
 a dose of physic. The first symptoms of indispositic 
 will very frequently yield to a dose of physic, moi 
 particularly if the liver be out of order, either as 
 primitive or sympathetic cause. Loss of appetite, 
 fetid odour arising from the evacuations, depressic 
 of spirits, a dry feverish state of the tongue, all ter 
 to show that the biliary secretions are not acting wil 
 regularity. In such cases the introduction of calom 
 may be recommended in combination with aloes, a> 
 cording to the formula given at page 154. of tl 
 « Stud Farm." 
 
 The general custom of giving hunters physic 
 founded upon such a rational basis that it cannot \ 
 safely dispensed with previously to commencing the 
 work. Two doses are usually sufficient during tt 
 month of August, and I have found it an excellei 
 plan to give another early in the month of Novembe 
 The process of assuming the winter coat has a ver| 
 considerable effect on the constitution: during tl 
 time it is in progress, much lassitude and debilit 
 exist, when it is most prudent to avoid giving purg* 
 
physic. 177 
 
 tive medicines, unless some particular cause renders 
 (it imperative. By giving two doses of physic suffi- 
 ciently early in August before the coat has under- 
 gone any change, and again in November when it is 
 (stationary, the most beneficial result may reasonably 
 pe expected. In the event of an accident, it is gene- 
 rally necessary to give medicine to allay inflammation, 
 which with horses highly fed is usually extensive. 
 The old custom of bleeding on all trivial occasions 
 is nearly superseded by the more rational introduc- 
 tion of physic. The setting in of a frost is usually 
 the suggestion to give physic to hunters, and there 
 are several good reasons for so doing. In the first 
 place, it is an auxiliary to the recovery of injuries 
 from blows on the legs to which hunters in all 
 countries are susceptible ; also from the inflammation 
 occasioned by thorns. The exuberance of spirit 
 which highly conditioned horses are prone to exhibit, 
 can scarcely be kept within moderate bounds by the 
 exercise obtainable during a protracted frost ; and on 
 that account again, unless physic were employed, the 
 animals would become internally fat, in which state 
 danger is always to be apprehended if they are 
 suddenly required to undergo laborious exertions. 
 
 The indiscriminate use of alteratives composed of 
 antimonial preparations, prevails in many hunting 
 stables to an injurious extent. « Nimrod * was at one 
 period a great advocate for them ; but from a conver- 
 sation which I had with him a few years before his 
 death, I found he had changed his opinion. The 
 principal effect that I have observed from them is to 
 
178 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 occasion nausea ; consequently, temporary loss of ap- 
 petite, and debility. It must be admitted they cause 
 horses to look well in their coats ; but if they have 
 been properly prepared for their work by mild doses 
 of aloes, they will not require any alteratives, or nos- 
 trums denominated " condition balls." By this I do 
 not mean to disparage the merits of tartar emetic in 
 cases of fever or indisposition requiring such a remedy; 
 but those disorders come under the direction of 
 veterinary treatment, which I do not presume to dis^- 
 cuss in these pages. Cutaneous diseases may also 
 require diaphoretics. 
 
 I offer no apology for the brevity of this chapter, 
 having in the " Stud Farm," with the exception of 
 the few subjects here introduced, explained most of the 
 causes which indicate the propriety of giving physic 
 to horses at all ages ; and have likewise, in every 
 case, suggested the occasions when it is required. 
 But I cannot conclude without urging the importance 
 of strict attention to the preliminary management 
 with regard to food, without which the proper effects 
 of purgatives can never be relied upon with satis- 
 faction or regularity. 
 
179 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 TRAVELLING. 
 
 An Apostrophe. — Exorbitant Charges made to Owners of Race- 
 horses. — Comparison with other Classes of Travellers. — Extor- 
 tions counteracted by Railways. — Economy of Railway Travelling, 
 — Inconveniences of travelling by the Road. — The Time neces- 
 sarily occupied. — Touts disappointed. —Effects of Road Travelling 
 on the Legs and Feet. — Weather. — Cost per Diem of travelling 
 by the Road. — Sweating essential afterwards. — Precautions 
 against Alarm and Injury. — Horses to be walked a few Miles 
 after Railway Travelling. — Impertinent Curiosity defeated. — 
 Construction of Vans. — Expense of Posting. — Observances when 
 
 travelling on the Road. — Boys walking with their Horses 
 
 Objections thereto. — Road Travelling seldom imperative. — In- 
 fluence of Railways on Race Meetings. 
 
 When a man sallies forth with race-horses, it would 
 appear that every individual with whom he has pe- 
 cuniary transactions accosts him with these quaint 
 expressions : — 
 
 " I wish thee, Vin, above all wealth, 
 Both bodily and ghostly health; 
 Not too much Avit or wealth come to thee, 
 For much of either might undo thee." 
 
 Every innkeeper, and indeed every other person 
 with whom an owner of race-horses comes in contact, 
 appears to be so wonderfully interested in the moral 
 
 N 2 
 
ISO STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 happiness of the latter, that rather than he should 
 suffer the dreadful evils to be apprehended from a 
 plethora of riches, they would singly or collectively 
 encounter the risk of taking all superfluous abun- 
 dance upon themselves. Why it should be, I never 
 could conceive; but all classes of men connected 
 with racing are charged enormously at most of the 
 hotels or inns to which they are accustomed to resort. 
 The man of pleasure who travels for his amusement, 
 who seeks the enjoyment of the coffee-room at the hotel 
 in the town where he may be sojourning, is charged 
 fairly, and according to the luxuries which he desires. 
 The commercial traveller, when on his route for his 
 own or his employer's profit, is charged moderately ; 
 but he who keeps race-horses — who moves himself, 
 his horses, and his servants from one place to ano- 
 ther to promote sport by which an influx of company 
 is gathered into the town, whereby the innkeepers 
 are great gainers; and who maintains one of the 
 noblest diversions of the present age ; to which may 
 be added the ambition of still improving that breed of 
 horses as yet unrivalled by any other nation, not 
 only for the honour, but also for the prosperity of 
 this country — is charged extravagantly. 
 
 These extortions are in some measure counteracted 
 by the facility of locomotion afforded by railways ; 
 and although the charges made by the companies for 
 the transmission of horses and boys are considerable, 
 taking all circumstances into calculation it is a more 
 desirable mode of travelling than by the road. 
 The risk and inconvenience attendant upon change 
 
TRAVELLING. 181 
 
 of stabling, and the consequent change also of hay 
 and water, must be taken into account. The time 
 occupied when travelling by the road is another 
 very important item, which likewise entails the ne- 
 cessity of making a longer sojourn prior to the meet- 
 ing at the town where the race takes place, in order 
 that the horse may take a sweat after his journey ; 
 an event which affords the touts opportunities of 
 scrutinising his condition, and sometimes of putting 
 more unworthy practices in operation ; for they 
 are evil genii, on all occasions to be regarded with 
 great caution. The road never produces beneficial 
 effects upon the legs and feet ; on the contrary, it is 
 often productive of much staleness, especially when 
 it is in a very wet state ; or the reverse, dry, hard 
 and dusty. Bad weather is likewise a very serious 
 affair ; for if the clothing becomes wet with rain, the 
 difficulty of getting it thoroughly dried for the ensuing 
 day's journey is very great ; moreover, during the 
 time thus occupied, that which is found at the inn 
 must be used as a temporary substitute, the dryness 
 of which cannot always be depended upon. If horses 
 travel by the road a distance of a hundred miles, at 
 least four, or most probably five, days will be occupied 
 by the journey, at an average cost of ten or eleven 
 shillings per diem for each horse and attendant boy, 
 independent of the expenses incurred by the trainer 
 or head lad who accompanies them; and they re- 
 quire to be at the place of meeting four clear days 
 prior to the race for the purpose of being sweated; 
 
 N 3 
 
182 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 thus upwards of a fortnight must necessarily elapse 
 from the time of leaving to that of their return 
 to their stables. The railways obviate all these 
 inconveniences without materially enhancing the 
 expenses. 
 
 It is a singular fact, that very few horses evince 
 any great degree of alarm on travelling in this fashion ; 
 but some do, and therefore there are a few precautions 
 necessary to avoid danger. In many cases winkers 
 are of important service if put on for the purpose 
 of leading horses into the boxes. There are so many 
 objects constantly presenting themselves at railway 
 stations to which neither race-horses nor hunters have 
 been accustomed, that alarm may be occasioned very 
 unexpectedly, and which a pair of winkers may be 
 the means of preventing. The legs require the pro- 
 tection of knee-caps, and boots or bandages. It 
 scarcely appears necessary to suggest the propriety 
 of a boy riding in the same vehicle which contains 
 the horse. 
 
 If time, weather, and circumstances permit, it 
 is advisable to take horses off the rail five or six 
 miles from the place of their destination, so that they 
 may walk that distance to their stables. It circulates 
 their blood, occasions muscular action, and prepares 
 them for being dressed and fed more after the man- 
 ner to which they are accustomed. It likewise dis- 
 appoints the prying and often impertinent eye of 
 curiosity which constantly attends the terminus of a 
 railway prior to a race meeting. 
 
TRAVELLING. 183 
 
 Most of the modern race-horse vans are so con- 
 structed as to be capable of being forwarded by the 
 railways ; that is to say, their height is restricted so 
 that they may pass under the tunnels and bridges ; 
 and wherever railway locomotion is- not available, 
 post-horses supply the place of steam. Posting is 
 considerably more expensive; hence on some occa- 
 sions it maybe necessary to travel by the road, — a 
 means, however, beset with many difficulties. In such 
 cases it is desirable to set off early in the morning 
 during summer ; but in the spring and autumn, from 
 half past eight to nine o'clock is a more seasonable 
 hour. It is essentially necessary that the trainer, 
 head lad, or some confidential person should accom- 
 pany them. As there are very few stables kept in 
 a sufficient degree of preparation for the reception of 
 race-horses on a journey, it is desirable to send infor- 
 mation of the intended visit, unless the trainer or 
 head lad precedes the horses to make the necessary 
 arrangements. The custom formerly prevailed of 
 making the boys walk and lead their horses all the 
 way ; but I am not prepared to recommend that plan ; 
 indeed, there are many objections to it. Horses are 
 much more likely to hit their legs when being led 
 than when they are ridden, from the circumstance of 
 the head being frequently drawn to the near side ; 
 moreover, the boys are unnecessarily fatigued, and 
 therefore less capable of doing justice to their horses 
 by dressing them effectively and expeditiously on 
 their arrival at the place of rest. 
 
 N 4 
 
 
184 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 All parts of England are so thoroughly provided 
 with railway accommodations, that the necessity foi 
 horses travelling by the road is nearly superseded. 
 There are few places where race meetings are held 
 which are not within a short day's journey of a rail- 
 way station. Indeed it appears almost an essential 
 feature to the success of " Olympic Festivals," that 
 such accommodation should be available. 
 
185 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 
 
 lipping very generally practised. — Nimrod's approval. — Xecessity 
 for artificial Remedies. — Inconvenience of a rough Coat. — 
 Trouble and Labour avoided. — Delicate Skins and fine Coats. — 
 Singeing preferable to Clipping. — Reasons thereon. — Horses can 
 be singed however long their Coats. — Practical Illustration. — 
 Gas versus Naphtba. — The Apparatus to use Gas. — Nonsus- 
 ceptibility of Cold. — Evidence thereon. — Objections. — Phe- 
 nomenon of blind Horses. — Not accounted for, although attempted. 
 — Blind Horses formerly used in Stage Coaches. — Importance of 
 a fine Coat. — Health of the Skin promoted. — Objectionable 
 Nostrums. — The Skin can be most thoroughly cleansed when the 
 Coat is short. 
 
 ?he operation of clipping has now stood the test of 
 3me thirty years' experience, with horses of all 
 lasses required for speed and endurance, race-horses 
 xcepted, whose services are not usually called for at 
 ie season of the year when it is necessary ; namely, 
 uring the four months of midwinter. The converts 
 ) the practice have been annually on the increase 
 11 it now may be denominated universal, save where 
 le more modern introduction of sino-eino- is taking 
 
 recedence in stables containing horses of the best 
 escription. 
 When "Nimrod" introduced the subject in his well 
 nown works, clipping was in its infancy, and singe- 
 lg had not been adopted ; but he, with his usual 
 ood judgment, strongly recommended the perform- 
 
186 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 ance upon all hunters and hacks with long coats 
 With respect to clipping, it is a fact well known t 
 all who use horses during the winter season, whe: 
 their coats are long and thick, that some artificis 
 remedy is necessary to diminish the substance, if th 
 animals are engaged either as hunters or on the roac 
 A horse enveloped in a long, thick, and woolly cc 
 vering, when destined to accelerated exertions, ma i 
 be compared to a man taking strong exercise in 
 great coat ; either of whom must suffer great incor i 
 venience from the profusion of perspiration whic 
 ensues, and which, being constantly repeated, muj| 
 have the effect of weakening the constitution, redn 
 cing the muscular power, and likewise the digesthj 
 faculties. [Much trouble is also 'experienced wit 
 horses under such circumstances on their arrival 
 in the stables ; because, independently of the laboi j 
 required to dress them, they will, in defianc 
 of every precaution, continue to break out in col 
 sweats, very prejudicial to condition. Here, how I 
 ever, it is necessary to remark that some horses ha\ I 
 such very delicate skins, and coats so fine, eve 
 through the winter, that, with proper care, they d 
 not require such treatment, unless it be the use < 
 the singeing-lamp, applied very lightly ; and I ai 
 quite prepared to recommend that process in prefei 
 ence to clipping, from practical experience of tli 
 advantages derived from it by all hunters, hacks, an 
 steeple-chase horses. After having been singed, the 
 do not experience that degree of chilliness, evider 
 by their appearance when exposed in cold and wind 
 
CLIPPING AND SIXGEING. 187 
 
 eather, which they do when clipped, although they 
 ji be singed closer than they can be clipped ; in 
 ct, the singeing may be regulated to any degree 
 iat may be considered desirable. 
 
 I imagine this distinction may be attributed to the 
 ,ct that the process of singeing has the effect of 
 osing or, as it were, sealing up the outer extremity 
 ■ each hair, which, being a hollow tube, when 
 erely cut with the scissors, is left open, and there- 
 ire acts as a conductor of cold to the skin ; for 
 though after clipping it is usual to make use of the 
 ngeing apparatus, the flame does not come in con- 
 ict with every particular hair, or even one in twenty ; 
 >nsequently, the inconvenience alluded to still exists 
 ) a very considerable extent. When singeing is nicely 
 erformed, the coat will retain its original colour and 
 loss, but that is not generally the case after clipping. 
 
 Many persons entertain an idea that singeing is 
 aly practicable with horses whose coats have not 
 ecome very long and thick, and therefore, to prevent 
 iat, it must be commenced very early — before they 
 ave grown. Although it is very desirable to do so, 
 nd, by repeating the operation every week or ten 
 ays, keep them short, it is not imperative. Very 
 jcently a horse came into my possession with a par- 
 cularly long and woolly coat, and the day after he 
 irived, a friend, who happened to call, a very good 
 idee in such matters, observed it was a decided case 
 w clipping. " No," I replied, " he shall be singed." 
 ly friend was of opinion it could not be done satis- 
 ictorily ; nevertheless, I was determined it should 
 
188 STABLE PEACTICE. 
 
 be tried. The process was conducted as follows : - 
 The horse was singed as close as circumstances wou 
 permit, because, it must be observed, when the co: 
 is in that state, after the siageing-lamp has be< 
 applied several times in succession to one part, 
 dampness arises from perspiration, occasioned by tl 
 warmth of the flame, in which state the operatic 
 cannot be continued. After singeing, the horse w 
 sweated moderately, and, immediately on his retu: 
 to the stable, well washed with warm water and sc 
 soap, thoroughly scraped, and dressed. On the fc 
 lowing day the operation was renewed in a simil 
 manner, and repeated with intervals of a few da; 
 till the coat was reduced to the state in which I wish 
 it to be. But without the precaution of sweatii 
 and washing, to cleanse away the charred particl 
 of hair, and the perspiration already noticed, both 
 which adhere to the coat, the process of singeing ca 
 not be advantageously renewed. The recent intr 
 duction of gas for this purpose is a decided improv 
 ment upon the spirit of naphtha heretofore made u 
 of, particularly when the coat has attained a con^ 
 derable growth ; because the gas takes it off quick 
 and more regularly. Besides, the flame from tl 
 gas can be regulated with the greatest nicety, to sui 
 particular parts or circumstances, which cannot be 
 readily managed with the spirit. Wherever gas a 
 be obtained (and there are very few country towi 
 where it is not consumed), by means of the apparati 
 constructed for the purpose, which is to be had 
 most saddlers', the use of gas is less expensive tk 
 
CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 189 
 
 iphtha. Being provided with the flexible tube and 
 tnp, and the former attached to any pipe supplied 
 ith gas, the operation may be performed expedi- 
 nisly and with great precision. 
 Apprehensions might be entertained* that the act 
 depriving a horse of a great portion of his natural 
 vering would occasion him to be very susceptible 
 [ taking cold ; but experience proves that not to be 
 e case. An accident which occurred to me several 
 lars ago may serve as evidence of this assertion. I 
 I as returning home, one evening in the month of 
 ovember, and, passing through a gentleman's park, 
 ider some trees, the branches of which I could not 
 scern in consequence of the excessive darkness, I was 
 ereby pulled off my hack, a mare which had been 
 ipped only the day previously. This disaster gave 
 ST her liberty,. and, although I obtained the aid of 
 le keeper and other assistance, I could not succeed in 
 tiding the mare : she therefore remained in the park 
 ithout shelter all night. Moreover, it was bitterly 
 jld, foggy, and frosty. When daylight appeared, 
 (e mare was discovered ; and I fully expected, espe- 
 jally as I had ridden her fast up to the time we 
 jirtecl company, that she would be laid up with a 
 olent cold. That, however, was not the case. On 
 fcr return home she had a bran mash, with two 
 juices of spirit of nitric ether, and, on the following 
 Ly, gave no evidence of the slightest indisposition. 
 Lad she not been clipped I am inclined to think the 
 jsult would not have been so fortunate ; because, 
 hm. the pace I had ridden her, with the perspiration 
 
190 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 remaining in the coat, she would have been wet i 
 night, whereas she quickly became dry; hence tl 
 coldness of the atmosphere had not such an injuria 
 effect as might have been expected. This, hoi 
 ever, is not to lead to the impression that I wou 
 expose an animal to the inclemency of the weath 
 immediately after clipping or singeing — quite t 
 reverse; and in the stable a moderate addition 
 clothing may be used with propriety, dependei 
 however, on the state of the weather, and the inc" 
 cations which will be readily discovered by the a 
 pearance of the animal. 
 
 The only objection that can be raised against cli 
 ping or singeing is the dull appearance which 
 entaiis upon all horses at the spring of the year, ji 
 at the period of shedding their coats. These opei 
 tions have likewise an influence in postponing t 
 time when the new coat makes its appearance, — i 
 conveniences which are trivial compared with t 
 advantages derived at that season of the year wh 
 the services of the hunter are most valuable to t. 
 sportsman. 
 
 There is a most extraordinary phenomenon co 
 nected with horses' coats, which I believe has nev 
 yet been accounted for; that is, blind horses w 
 have fine coats in the winter, and rough ones in tl 
 summer, thereby reversing the order of those whit 
 enjoy the faculty of sight. It is far beyond my cor 
 prehension to explain or even guess at the cause ; 
 the same time it would be exceedingly interesting 
 all who are concerned in the management of horses, 
 
CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 191 
 
 ie knotty point could be elucidated. If it could 
 e discovered, there is a possibility that the result 
 light lead to the substitution of means whereby the 
 )ats of horses could be kept fine throughout the 
 inter without resorting to the alternatives of clip- 
 ing or singeing. An attempt has been made by a 
 eterinary surgeon, whose name I am not acquainted 
 f ith, to explain this mystery ; but he unfortunately 
 died at the outset by stating that blind horses are 
 Iways rough in their coats, which is not the fact. 
 q the days when stage coaches triumphed, many 
 lind horses were employed; and any superficial ob- 
 jrver would readily detect those which were so 
 Eflicted in the winter months by the peculiar fineness 
 f their coats. No difference of treatment would 
 ccasion this, as the horses composing a team most 
 ssuredly fared alike ; hence it is more conclusive that 
 )me physical influence, as yet unknown, produces 
 lis extraordinary characteristic. 
 
 The healthy condition of the skin, and the fineness 
 f the coat, are essentials to the well doing of all 
 inds of horses ; they proclaim the state of the sto- 
 mach, with which there exists a direct sympathy, and 
 Id vastly to appearances. To obtain these desi- 
 erata during the winter, hot stables, alteratives, 
 iuretics, diaphoretics, and all sorts of diabolical nos- 
 'ums, are resorted to, many of which are capable of 
 rodueing a temporary effeot at the expense of the 
 institution. One of the recommendations applicable 
 ) clipping and singeing consists in the facility 
 Forded of thoroughly cleansing the skin from all 
 
192 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 superficial accumulations of sweat and dust, which, 
 being allowed to remain, obstruct the pores, anc 
 interrupt a very important function. When a horst 
 has a thick and long coat, it is impossible to eradicate 
 those impurities effectually ; — they may be removec 
 from the surface, while the most important part, th< 
 skin itself, is left uncleaned. 
 
193 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 
 Effects on the Constitution.— Events which influence those Effects. — 
 Caution. — Stimulus to Exertion. — Race Riding, a laborious Oc- 
 cupation. — Importance of Condition in a Jockey. — Recommended 
 to Hunting Men. — Severe Abstinence from Food deprecated. — 
 Practical Experience of moderate Living and long Walks. — De- 
 privations of Jockies. — Hunger and Thirst.— Causes which affect 
 Hunger. — Causes which affect Thirst. — Selection of appropriate 
 Food and Drink. — Comparison between Wasting and Training. 
 — Preliminary Observances. — Aperient Medicines. — Excessive 
 Use of Epsom Salts. — Practical Anecdote. — Walking, and the 
 usual Observances. — Pace. — Perspiration promoted. — Remedy 
 for blistered Feet — Walking on the Morning of a Race. — Amount 
 reduced. — Temptation. — Diet. — Beverage. — Smoking. 
 
 Whether wasting is injurious to the constitution or 
 not depends upon how the process is conducted, and 
 the extent to which it is carried. If excessively severe 
 measures are adopted, in order to effect a considerable 
 reduction of weight in a very brief space of time, 
 great prostration of strength results from the want of 
 sufficient nutriment, and the escape of a vast quantity 
 of fluid in the form of perspiration ; but with careful 
 treatment and judicious regimen, so far from the health 
 being injured, it is promoted by the ordeal. If every 
 person were to ascertain his weight when in the most 
 perfect state of health, and in condition to endure the 
 utmost amount of fatigue, after a regular course of 
 
 o 
 
194 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 training, it would generally be found at a lower 
 standard than upon ordinary occasions, when he 
 takes no more exercise than inclination and the 
 common occurrences of life dictate. We lose inces- 
 santly by different ways, as by perspiration, re- 
 spiration, and other evacuations, a part of the ele- 
 ments of which our bodies are composed, amounting 
 to some pounds in the course of twenty-four hours ; 
 and we should perish if we were not to re-supply 
 them and our strength together with nourishment 
 obtained from food and drink. Strong exercise, ac- 
 companied by spare living, are the means adopted to 
 reduce the weight ; and it is by careful attention to 
 the extent of work and abstinence which the consti- 
 tution is capable of sustaining safely,- that determines 
 the question whether or not wasting is injurious to 
 the constitution. An individual labouring under 
 chronic disease of the lungs, the heart, and those 
 organs employed in respiration, can scarcely expect 
 to undergo the process of wasting without danger. 
 When due notice has been given, and time will 
 permit, it is far more prudent and advantageous for 
 a jockey to take two or three extra walks to get him- 
 self down to the prescribed weight, and to live mode- 
 rately, than to tamper with the constitution by 
 taking strong doses of aperient medicine, and very 
 little or no food containing the elements of nutrition. 
 The prevailing passion — love of gain, or, what is 
 more excusable, a laudable desire to serve a respected 
 employer — will sometimes tempt jockies to waste 
 to excess on short notice. Excessive perspiration 
 
WASTING. 195 
 
 and abstinence from food reduce the muscular as 
 well as the adipose tissues : this, in order materially 
 to reduce the weight, is necessary, and, to a certain 
 extent, can be accomplished without inconvenience ; 
 but when the muscular system is diminished beyond 
 a reasonable standard, the stamina is enfeebled, 
 strength prostrated, and the powers of endurance im- 
 paired, in which state no man is capable of riding a 
 race to the best advantage. Some individuals can 
 bear a much more extensive reduction of muscle 
 without inconvenience than others. 
 
 For a jockey to be in good condition to ride, he 
 requires preparation. Race riding is a very laborious 
 undertaking so long as it lasts, especially with a 
 hard-pulling horse, or one that requires great ex- 
 ertions to get him out. A man is no better qualified 
 to perform on an animal of this kind if he is not in 
 condition, than a horse would be to run if taken up 
 from the grass field. He may hang on, it is true; 
 but instead of beins; able to assist the animal when. 
 assistance becomes necessary, he is like so much 
 dead weight upon the creature's back. From not 
 being in condition, gentlemen jockies frequently make 
 absurd exhibitions. Gentlemen may ride as well as 
 jockies, and there are many who can, but they pre- 
 pare themselves with equal care. If a man has to 
 ride two stone or more above his ordinary weight, 
 and is not in practice, he should take three or four 
 walks in flannels, not with a view of reducing him- 
 self, but to get rid of superfluous fat, and thus re- 
 lieving his lungs ; the muscular system will also be 
 o 2 
 
196 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 improved by the walking exercise. This is a prac- 
 tice which every hunting man who consults his own 
 ease and comfort will do well to adopt, unless he is 
 of a very spare habit, and prepared by the exertion 
 of shooting and taking a vast deal of strong pedes- 
 trian exercise. 
 
 The custom of very severe abstinence from food, 
 or, as it may be appropriately termed, absolute 
 starvation, cannot be too seriously condemned. Any 
 excess of labour is preferable to that. A man may 
 get off a considerable quantity of weight if he will 
 work. Some years since I was requested by a friend 
 to ride a three years old filly for him, engaged in the 
 " Cup " at Heaton Park. The request was made at 
 Doncaster, but not till the Friday, and the race 
 took place on the same day in the following week. 
 Without wasting more than I had then done, I 
 could not have ridden under 9 st. 12 1b., and it 
 was expected the mare would not be handicapped 
 higher than 8 st. 7 lb. My reply was, that on so 
 short a notice I feared I could not do it, but I would 
 get off as much weight as possible; consequently, 
 instead of riding, I walked from Doncaster to Man- 
 chester, a distance of fifty-four miles, during the 
 first two days in flannels. This I could not have 
 accomplished had I not lived moderately; but I 
 experienced not the slightest inconvenience beyond 
 considerable fatigue, and on the day had reduced 
 myself to 8 st. 9 lb. If I had lost a day's walking 
 by riding my hack, and observed greater abstinence 
 
WASTING. 197 
 
 from food, I might have got to the same weight; 
 but it would have produced emaciation and feebleness. 
 Jockies who are under the necessity of wasting ex- 
 tensively must undergo considerable personal depri- 
 vation. Not only do they experience a vast deal of 
 fatigue from walking eight or ten miles nearly every 
 day at a fast pace enveloped in flannels, but they have 
 to contend against two very unjrieasant sensations — 
 hunger and thirst. The first of these is influenced 
 by various causes, some of which the wasting jockey 
 cannot control, and others he is compelled to adopt in 
 order to reduce himself. A cold and dry atmosphere, 
 such as we frequently experience in the spring sea- 
 son, will tend to sharpen the appetite ; so will cold 
 bathing, which on that account should be avoided. 
 Exercise on horseback, walking, in fact every species 
 of labour, in the open air more particularly, will 
 produce hunger, from the reason that the digestion 
 is accelerated by the exhaustion of the system which 
 takes place, occasioning an increased demand for 
 nutrition. These labours are, in fact, the duties of 
 a jockey ; and it is therefore a subject of considerable 
 personal mortification, that, being compelled to follow 
 employments which, more than almost any others, 
 create an appetite, he should be obliged to refrain 
 from the indulgence of eating, except in very parsi- 
 monious quantities. Any person who has taken a ride 
 of twenty miles before breakfast on a cold frosty 
 morning will acknowledge the relish he has for the 
 morning meal, which is augmented by two causes, — 
 o 3 
 
198 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 the exercise, and the effects of the air on the digestive 
 organs. On the other hand, the appetite is less keen 
 when the atmosphere is warm and humid. Ward 
 liquids have the effect of appeasing the appetite, and 
 for that reason, as well as for creating an increase of 
 perspiration, are frequently taken : at the same time, 
 it is necessary to offer a caution against excess, 
 whereby the healthy action of the stomach may be 
 impaired. The sensation of thirst is with most per- 
 sons, when wasting, much more acute than that of 
 hunger, but it varies very greatly in different per- 
 sons, and, at times, with the same individual. Ex- 
 cessive perspiration naturally increases thirst, from 
 the escape which it occasions of the fluid humours 
 contained in the body. To the wasting jockey this 
 is the greatest deprivation ; for, if he intends to 
 reduce his weight to any extent, he must abstain as 
 much as possible from liquids. Thirst is greatly 
 influenced by the nature of the food which is partaken 
 of. Flesh of all kinds, but more especially those 
 which have been salted, and fish, will create thirst ; 
 but vegetables have a contrary effect, as a great 
 portion of their substance turns to water in the pro- 
 cess of digestion. 
 
 Thus will be understood the advantage of making 
 a proper selection of food and beverage ; and, prior to 
 commencing the process of wasting, it is desirable to 
 adopt a regimen suitable to the purpose and the con- 
 stitution, which latter property varies so greatly in 
 different individuals, that a course which would be 
 appropriate for one would be prejudicial to many 
 
WASTING.' 199 
 
 others. Persons of a spare habit require more 
 Nourishment than those who have a tendency to 
 become fat. Some partake of a small portion of 
 animal food daily, and, by taking plenty of walk- 
 ing exercise, are enabled to reduce their weight; 
 while others would not lose many pounds unless they 
 restricted themselves to a vegetable diet. But, in 
 general, a small portion of meat once or twice a 
 week is to be recommended. It should be remem- 
 bered that training for any athletic purpose, and 
 wasting, are too widely different objects, although 
 there are certain observances applicable to both. 
 The amount of weight which a jockey desires to 
 disencumber himself of will be a guide, both as 
 to the regimen which he must adopt, and the time 
 which will be occupied in the process. The facility 
 with which some persons can reduce their weight 
 vastly exceeds that of others. Those who perspire 
 freely have an advantage in this respect. Two or 
 three doses of aperient medicine previously to com- 
 mencing pedestrian exertions are indispensable, not 
 only for the purpose of decreasing the weight, but 
 also of preparing the system ; but the quantities of 
 Epsom salts, which many jockies are in the habit of 
 swallowing almost daily, cannot be too strongly 
 denounced. When the stomach and intestines are 
 very sparingly supplied with food, that medicine is 
 calculated to promote injurious effects when taken in 
 large doses. As a laxative, in order to keep the 
 bowels free, once, or even tw T ice, in a week they may 
 be taken without impropriety; although jalap, in 
 o 4 
 
200 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 doses of from fifteen to five-and-twenty grains, com- 
 bined with five or ten grains of nitre, is preferable in 
 its operation, and less nauseous to the taste. On the 
 necessity of making a suitable preparation by abste- 
 miousness and medicine, I will relate a circumstance 
 which occurred when Heaton Park races tempted 
 many gentlemen jockies to undergo the ordeal of 
 wasting. A young friend of mine who had been 
 enjoying himself at Doncaster during the previous 
 week, ambitious to distinguish himself in the pio-ski J 
 and as light weights were likely to be in requisition, 
 proposed to accompany me in my walks, and without 
 any introductory preparation, except refraining from 
 his breakfast on the first morning, having procured 
 the most suitable woollen fabrics obtainable in Man- 
 chester, on short notice, with which he enveloped him- 
 self most profusely, in defiance of my caution not to 
 overclothe himself, we commenced our toils. We had 
 not, however, gained the summit of the well-known 
 Cheetham Hill, about two miles from the town, when 
 my friend, who was following, called out for me to 
 stop. On turning round, the only portion of his face 
 discernible for shawls was as red as crimson, and he 
 was completely blown. Halting a few T minutes, I 
 recommended him to unbutton his great coat, and 
 relieve himself from some of the comforters with 
 which his neck was enveloped, suggesting also that 
 he should return and avail himself of the first vehicle 
 he might meet with; that, however, he declined, 
 fancying he would be laughed at. I then proceeded 
 on my walk, and regained the Albion Hotel just as 
 
WASTING^ 201 
 
 ic had crawled home. Commencing in this unpre- 
 >ared state the exertion of walking, encased as he 
 ras in flannel and other woollen textures, the great 
 icat generated in his body being unable to escape in 
 consequence of the retentive powers of his dress, he 
 pas completely overcome ; he did not perspire, but 
 ras in an actual state of fever. A little mutton 
 iroth, and three or four hours between the blankets, 
 •pened the pores, and in the course of the evening he 
 ecovered; but he lost very little if any weight, and 
 (xperienced considerable temporary inconvenience. 
 ! The first walk should be a short one, the pace 
 moderate, and the quantity of flannels regulated by 
 he weather. The usual plan is to walk out a cer- 
 ain distance, that is from three to four or five miles, 
 rhere there is an inn or a friend's house, on entering 
 rhich warm water is used to wash the mouth, a 
 blanket procured to throw over the head and 
 boulders, and a glass of some hot beverage taken, to 
 ncrease the flow of perspiration. On these occasions 
 are is necessary not to remain too long ; otherwise, 
 he perspiration ceasing, the flannels, which are wet, 
 •ecome cold, and in that state a reaction takes place, 
 iot unattended with danger, and, at all events, re- 
 [uiring much exertion to get up the steam again. 
 1 considerable amount of resolution is called into 
 ction, inasmuch as, fatigue prevailing, few persons 
 re very anxious to encounter the latter most dis- 
 ressing portion of the walk. At these times a jockey 
 Reserves — in fact, he requires — attention ; and for 
 hat reason, when at home, it is more conducive to 
 
202 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 his comfort to walk a certain distance, — that is, the 
 half of what he intends to perform, — and make his 
 own home his resting-place, where he can be properly 
 waited upon, and, having refreshed himself again, set 
 off to complete his task. A route should be selected 
 sheltered as much as possible from the wind ; and it is 
 also desirable to arrange it so that the wind may be 
 at the back when returning or completing the walk; 
 for meeting a brisk wind, especially when the indi- 
 vidual is fatigued, will tend very powerfully to check 
 the flow of perspiration ; and the endeavour should 
 be to perspire as freely as possible with the leasl 
 expense of labour. The pace should be regulated 
 moderately at first, and increased towards the conclu 
 sion of the walk, in order to enter the house with th< 
 perspiration flowing profusely. It is a great error t< 
 walk too fast at first, for, when blown, the perspira- 
 tion will not escape, and, when greatly fatigued, s 
 person cannot go fast enough to effect his purpose 
 When the distance is completed, after having washec 
 the mouth with warm water, an hour's rest on a bed 
 covered over with a good allowance of blankets, pre I 
 vious to which drinking a glass of warm liquid, is tin | 
 most effectual method to promote the flow of perspi 
 ration ; and, at the expiration of that time, a largi 
 foot-bath, wherewith, by the aid of sponges, : 
 thorough ablution can be performed, is not onl; 
 highly refreshing, but otherwise salutary. If tfaij 
 feet are inclined to blister, rubbing the inside of th 
 stockings with yellow soap is, in most cases, a pre: 
 ventative; and, with shoes sufficiently capacious 
 
WASTING. 203 
 
 wearing two pairs of stockings will tend to avert that 
 painful injury. When a jockey has occasion to walk 
 on the morning of a race, it is desirable that he 
 should start early, so that he may have plenty of 
 time to become cool previous to dressing himself. 
 If the weather be cold, this caution is particularly 
 worthy of attention. 
 
 After having taken two or three walks, a person is 
 better able to perform that labour, but he will not 
 reduce himself at the same ratio. He may get off 
 Ifive or six pounds the first walk, three or four the 
 second ; but after that the weight will be diminished 
 jin small proportions. Self-control is a virtue which 
 ja jockey must possess, for if he indulges himself with 
 |only one satisfactory meal, he will not find himself 
 much lighter after his morning's exertions. To see a 
 good dinner on the table, and a party of friends par- 
 taking thereof, after a severe walk, when a jockey has 
 a very keen appetite, requires some resolution to with- 
 stand ; and the better plan is to keep away from such 
 temptations. Take a stroll during the period, just 
 drop in at pudding-time, and so endeavour to cheat 
 yourself into the idea that you have dined. 
 
 To enumerate precisely the diet which a wasting 
 jockey should partake of, would be something akin to 
 dictating what he should prefer ; and, as he must be 
 restricted in quantity, it is but fair he should indulge 
 fiimself with that which he likes best, provided he 
 confines himself to such kinds of food as are adapted 
 to the purpose. A similar remark applies to beve- 
 rage, with the exception of spirituous liquors undi- 
 
204 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 luted. Provided the quantity is controlled, a man's 
 taste is his best monitor ; but the very general prac- 
 tice of constantly smoking cannot be too strongb 
 deprecated. Many do it with the idea that it allay 
 the cravings of the appetite ; but, if it does, it is a 
 the expense of a vast amount of vigour which enable 
 a person to walk. I do not mean to infer that ; 
 jockey is to be denied the gratification of smokinj 
 moderately if he likes it, — for, in all conscience, h 
 undergoes many privations ; but I feel convinced tha 
 inveterate smoking, with a view of keeping down th 
 weight, is a most mistaken and injurious practice. 
 
205 
 
 CHAP. XXI. 
 
 EACE BIDING. 
 
 lace Riding as a Profession for Gentlemen.— Difficulty of the Art. 
 — Incapability of young Jockies. — Attainment of Superiority.— 
 Comparison between good and inferior Jockies. — Integrity. _ 
 Initiation— Patience — Pace.— Definition of theTerm.— Examples. 
 —Peculiarity of Temper and Action.— Indications of Pace.— Start- 
 ing. —Precautions. — Starting when the Orders are to wait.— 
 Starting when the Orders are to make running. — Securing a good 
 Start.— Challenges in running. —Distinction between Jockies 
 
 | and Boys respecting Orders. — Turning Courses. — A Rule of 
 
 | Racing. —Example thereon.— Queries. — A fine Race.— A Strata- 
 gem. — Disadvantage of making running. — The Rush.— Pre- 
 
 | paring to set to, and finishing. — Whip and Spurs. — Praise and 
 Censure. — Circumstances which denote the Propriety of making 
 a waiting Race. — Of making Play. 
 
 Considering the enormous responsibility connected 
 vith the occupation of a jockey, there exists no 
 tstensible reason why it should not be an employment 
 or the better orders of society, to whom nature has 
 jiot been too prodigal in bulky proportions, and who 
 equire some remunerative engagement as a source 
 |»f living. Many of our celebrated jockies have 
 faised themselves from a state of comparative depend- 
 ence to affluence by superior skill and integrity. It 
 s a calling which by no means entails a necessity for 
 garity or association with persons of low habits, 
 
 < 
 
206 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 and, with a character established for skill and honour 
 it is a lucrative one. Employment is constant!] 
 sought by gentlemen for their sons in public office 
 and on railways, where the compensation affords bu 
 a bare existence. They have to give security for pro 
 bity; yet no undertaking of the kind is expect© 
 from a jockey, although he has frequently the contrc 
 over thousands. Ere steam-engines sent coaches o 
 the road, many men of good birth sought the occupa 
 tion of driving to augment their resources : assuredl 
 race riding is quite as aristocratic. But at the sam 
 time that it is a lucrative engagement, proficiency i 
 the calling, united with undeviating honour, leads t 
 fame. 
 
 The general opinion that this is an accomplishmei 
 difficult of acquirement may appear paradoxica 
 when we see so many lilliputian, infantile compet 
 tors riding, and often successfully, against olde 
 wiser, and more practised heads. Of many of tl 
 important points in the science of riding sue 
 juveniles cannot, by any possibility, have any exp< 
 rience ; of some others, they cannot possess tl 
 physical power to put what instructions can be give 
 to them into effect. They sit on; and the hors( 
 which they ride, for the most part, run their o\v 
 races : the extreme lightness of the weight — if sixt 
 pounds avoirdupois can be called weight — enable 
 them to win, provided the natural tempers of th 
 animals induce them to run kindly ; but if the 
 require riding, in the common acceptation of th 
 term, their success must be very problematica 
 
II ACE RIDING. 207 
 
 Sluggish horses take a great deal of rousing and 
 holding together to induce them to exert themselves ; 
 those which are irritable, and inclined to pull till they 
 lave spent themselves, can have but little chance 
 with very light boys, who cannot either rouse the 
 one or restrain the other. How the horses get safely 
 round the turns on country courses, when ridden by 
 very light weights, is perfectly miraculous. These 
 ire circumstances which must not lead to the misap- 
 prehension that great superiority is not attainable in 
 :he science, — one on which it is much easier to express 
 )pinions than to put them in practice. When we con- 
 template the splendid performances of our first-rate 
 iockies, and compare them with the miserable pre- 
 tensions of others possessing similar physical capa- 
 bilities, the distinction suggests that there must be 
 fomething more than ordinary endowments necessary 
 to the attainment of eminence in this calling ; and 
 |vhen it is likewise granted" that the artistes and the 
 miffs have equal opportunities of becoming profi- 
 cients in the art, the assumption becomes the more 
 orobable. There are evidently many qualities essen- 
 ial to the acquirement. The symmetrical propor- 
 ,ion of the body may be mentioned as one, which, 
 Jthough it cannot influence many important qualities, 
 Certainly does that of firmness and elegance of seat. 
 JYithout having any connection with a jockey's skill, 
 ptegrity of purpose is a virtue not to be disregarded ; 
 or, however accomplished he may be, if his character 
 le once tarnished, he may exclaim with the jealous 
 jyloor, "Othello's occupation's gone!'' 
 
20S STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 The preliminary instructions which boys usually re- 
 ceive in this art are in riding trials where experienced 
 jockies can give them directions during the contest. 
 A horse tolerably easy to ride, and not required to 
 make running, is most suitable for the purpose. 
 The importance of sitting still, the seat, proper posi- 
 tion of the hands, and such like precautions, will 
 naturally be instilled into the youth in riding exer- 
 cise; and, if he has not profited by the instructions, 
 he is not worthy of this promotion. He has now to 
 learn the necessity of patience. All tyros are in too 
 great haste to get home, — a fault very prevalent in 
 riding exercise ; but in riding exercise, each lad 
 having a place assigned to him, it is the fault of the 
 one who leads the gallop if the pace be too strong. 
 Some idea of pace may be gained in riding trials, 
 but thorough discretion in that very important 
 quality can only be acquired by extensive practice 
 and shrewd observation. It is not simply the pace 
 with regard to time that should be exclusively under- 
 stood by this expression, but more distinctly with 
 reference to the animals engaged, and the weights 
 they are carrying. To explain this more at large; 
 a moderate horse, aged, carrying 8 st. 10 lb., will run 
 the Ditch mile at Newmarket in 1 minute and 50 
 seconds, and a good three years old, with 8 st. 7 lb., 
 will perform the same distance in 1 minute and 40 
 seconds. A jockey cannot form an opinion during 
 the race which of these times will be occupied in 
 running the distance, neither would he profit by such 
 a calculation, because the pace with reference to 
 
RACE RIDING. 209 
 
 time must be subservient to the qualities of the 
 horses engaged; his object, therefore, is to regulate 
 his own pace comparatively with the powers of the 
 horse he is riding and the animals he has to contend 
 against. Experience enables a jockey to discover 
 when his own horse is overpaced, by his manner of 
 going: in this he has to distinguish the difference 
 between the horse pulling from anxiety to go faster, 
 or hanging on his arms from distress. To this end it 
 is essential that he should be acquainted with the 
 animal's disposition ; for there are some which will 
 not try to run a yard after they have left off pulling ; 
 others that will continue to answer every reasonable 
 effort ; many that will cease to exert themselves unless 
 their riders are pulling at them ; and idle horses that 
 will not pull at all, yet require to be held fast by 
 the head, and to be roused all the way. These pecu- 
 liarities must be ascertained to enable a jockey to dis- 
 tinguish the effect of pace, in which he will likewise be 
 guided by watching the action of the horses opposed 
 to him. The movements of his contemporaries will 
 also give some indications which may be turned to ac- 
 count ; for example, whether their horses are pulling, 
 or being urged to greater exertions, provided they are 
 in such a position that their tactics can be seen ; but 
 a shrewd jockey, who is riding a waiting race, will 
 endeavour as much as possible to follow the tracks of 
 the horse he has most reason to fear, in whicli situa- 
 tion he cannot be seen by the person who is making 
 the running. Most horses follow in that way with 
 the least inconvenience ; whereas, if they lay wide on 
 
 p 
 
210 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 either side, their endeavours to go up to their adver- 
 saries will often cause them to pull and exert them- 
 selves unnecessarily. There are of course exceptions ; 
 and this is one of the events by which the artiste is 
 distinguished from the muff, when the former adopts 
 those tactics most suitable to the horse he may be 
 riding. The quick discernment of these particulars is 
 another feature of essential importance. If he does 
 not catch the ball upon the hop, in all probability it 
 will not again be within his reach. The mind, as well 
 as the body, is most energetically engaged during a 
 race. 
 
 When a young jockey is put up to ride a race, one of 
 the first directions given to him will be, to get a good 
 start, — a caution unnecessary to one of experience. 
 At the same time, this instruction requires to be quali- 
 fied, the natural properties of the animal consulted, 
 the way the race is to be ridden, and the distance, 
 considered. Some horses get into their action imme- 
 diately, others do not ; and, unless they are allowed 
 time to fall into their stride, will be inevitably beaten 
 by injudiciously hurrying them. The former of these 
 will sometimes cut down their opponents in the first 
 quarter of a mile from their quickness, although they 
 may not be the speediest, as there is a distinction 
 between quickness and speed. A speedy animal, 
 with great length of stride, is not, in general, a good 
 beginner, but his success depends upon his efforts 
 being reserved for the final rush. 
 
 Presuming a waiting race is to be ridden, it is 
 highly desirable to get well off, when the horse must 
 
RACE RIDING. 211 
 
 be drawn back, and steadily held at a pace which he 
 can continue, at the same time never to lie so far 
 away from the leading horses as to endanger the pos- 
 sibility of reaching them, unless they are rattling 
 away at a pace they cannot maintain, in which case 
 a jockey's ability will be evinced by patiently pre- 
 serving his horse till his opponents, having tired 
 themselves, diminish their speed, or, in racing lan- 
 guage, come back to him. If it is deemed desirable 
 to make the running, having secured a favourable 
 start, the animal is sent striding along at such a pace 
 as may be expected will defeat the others, nursing a 
 sufficiency of power for the final struggle — the most 
 difficult part of the science. In short races a good 
 start is half the battle. To effect a good start, each 
 horse's temper has to be consulted. With many it 
 is a difficult point to prevent their jumping off 
 before their competitors, others are ready on the 
 first indication of the hand, and such as are idly dis- 
 posed require the assistance of the spurs. In any 
 case, in order to have perfect command, the jockey sits 
 well back in his saddle, without attempting to raise 
 himself in his stirrups, till the horse is in his stride. 
 
 A very important caution to be given is, not to race 
 with every adversary who may be so disposed, and 
 to avoid, as much as possible, another horse running 
 parallel with your horse's head, even though you may 
 not be going at your best pace. Such an honour 
 may be politely declined in two ways : if your horsej 
 is going well within himself, and can without difficult] 
 dispose of his friend in a few strides, it is advisable 1 
 i> 2 
 
212 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 to do so, as, in all probability, that will settle his 
 pretensions to further distinction : but this must be 
 attended with great caution, and not repeated with 
 other animals, which, with a numerous field, would 
 certainly be productive of defeat. The other plan is, 
 to pull behind ; and that likewise must be performed 
 discreetly, or you may lose ground by doing so. A 
 jockey riding a waiting race, with discretionary 
 orders, entertaining a doubt whether his horse has 
 the best turn of speed, will be very probably inclined 
 to go up to the horse he has .to fear at a distance 
 from home, and endeavour to satisfy himself upon 
 that point ; but it is the fault of his opponent if he 
 gains any thing by the attempt, unless positive orders 
 have been given to the opponent aforesaid to make 
 the running throughout. When a jockey is desired 
 to make running, or to ride a waiting race, without 
 any discretionary power, he has, of course, no alter- 
 native but to put those orders into effect to the 
 utmost of his power ; but a distinction should always 
 be made between the inexperienced and the accom- 
 plished jockey, especially if the latter has a previous 
 knowledge of the character of the horse he is about 
 to ride. In that case he is the most competent per- 
 son to advise how the race should be ridden. Boys 
 must necessarily have their orders, and it will depend 
 upon a variety of circumstances whether they are able 
 to put them into effect; but,- having 'previously given 
 them ample instructions on the principles of race 
 riding, the more simple the final orders, the less likely 
 are they to be forgotten or misunderstood. On a 
 
RACE RIDING. 213 
 
 turning course it is very necessary to keep as near as 
 possible to the inside, that being the shortest distance 
 to the winning post ; and it is also important to avoid 
 being driven out at the turns by other horses ; never- 
 theless, it is contrary to the rules of riding to force 
 an antagonist on the wrong side of a post, or to cross 
 him in such a way as to prevent his getting up. There 
 is a complicated rule of racing law, rather difficult to 
 comprehend. It is thus expressed — " And when one 
 horse crosses the track of another next behind him, it 
 shall be deemed a sufficient cause of complaint, even 
 though he be a clear length or more before the horse 
 whose track he crosses ; it being desirable, that when 
 once the jockey has taken his ground he should not 
 prevent any other jockey from coming up, either on 
 his right or left hand." This is quite practicable on 
 a straight course ; but, supposing only six horses run 
 over Chester or any similar course, — if the rule were 
 to be adopted to the letter, — No. 1. having taken 
 his ground nearest to the rails, No, 2. next to him, 
 and so on, the sixth, or outside horse, would have to 
 run somewhere about the middle of the course, and, 
 by so doing, would be compelled to travel thirty or 
 forty yards further than No. 1. There is also 
 another feature in this rule, supposing it to be carried 
 out, — by what authority has any horse a right to 
 assume the inner portion of the circle ? The expres- 
 sion " a clear length, or more" is likewise very 
 indefinite, — how much more than a clear length is 
 admissible in establishing a case ? In further oppo- 
 sition to this clause, it is exceedingly unfair that one 
 p 3 
 
214 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 horse should run up to another on the inside at a 
 turn, and force the latter out of his ground. In such 
 a case there might be a foundation for a charge of 
 josfling ; but, providing the offender did not come in 
 first, or another horse the property of the same per- 
 son, a complaint would be of no avail. 
 
 Presuming a race to have been ridden with the 
 most perfect discretion to the distance post, and two 
 or three horses, of nearly equal pretensions, have 
 arrived at that point, the acme of the jockies' supe- 
 rioritv remains to be tested in the final struggle. 
 
 •/ Co 
 
 Here the caution with which he has ridden so far will 
 be manifest ; but he has now to decide whether in a 
 few strides he can effectually dispose of his oppo- 
 nents, or whether by a well timed effort of speed he 
 can land his horse first on the post by an electrical 
 rush. At this crisis, riding is a, nervous and critical 
 engagement. Instances are not wanting of highly 
 accomplished jockies having been defeated, or rather 
 outwitted, by keen-sighted opponents. For instance, 
 it shall be supposed a jockey has won his race fifty 
 yards from the winning post, with enough left in his 
 horse for an increased effort of speed, if necessary, 
 but, looking round to the right, to see if that 
 antagonist has a chance of reaching him, another 
 horse which has stolen up to him unexpectedly, slips 
 up on the other side, and wins before he is aware of 
 the nearness of such an adversary. This stratagem 
 is performed after the following fashion: — The jockey 
 finding he has not a chance of winning by superiority 
 of speed, yet enabled to lay well up, follows track 
 
EACE RIDING. 215 
 
 for track with the leading, and we will assume the 
 superior horse, where watching the rider in the ex- 
 pectation that he will turn his head either right or 
 left, with a well directed effort passes him on the con- 
 trary side to that which he happens to look. The 
 following are cases in which the disadvantages of 
 making running may be exemplified: — those jockies 
 who are waiting have a better opportunity of watch- 
 ing the action of the horses and their riders ; they can 
 see when a horse's long compounding stride is ex- 
 changed for short laborious efforts, stas^erin^ in his 
 gallop ; they can see when their opponents' spurs are 
 at work, however insidiously they are applied ; they 
 can see every motion of the hands, and are therefore 
 enabled to profit by observation. 
 
 The final " set-to," or as it is with equal propriety 
 termed, " the finish," is an accomplishment not easily 
 attained. To behold silk jackets in convulsions is a 
 distressing sight, but yet it is one too frequently 
 witnessed. Skill, elegance, and determination in this 
 art, mark the distinction between the superior jockey 
 and the muff. When the set-to becomes necessary, 
 the rider prepares himself and his horse for it, 
 by sitting well down in his saddle, collecting his 
 horse, and taking the reins usually in the left hand, 
 (unless he has the power of using the whip with 
 either, in which case the position of his adversaries 
 will be the best guide) ; he then turns his whip, by 
 passing the three outer fingers underneath, and is 
 then enabled to make use of that instrument, if the 
 spurs fail in their intentions. Not that much benefit 
 r 4 
 
216 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 often results from it, except with game but indolent 
 animals ; and in using both that and the spurs, unless 
 the horse is found to respond to the call, good feeling 
 and prudence forbid their use. Inflicting pain on an 
 animal when he is doing his best, is not only wanton 
 cruelty, but appears something like punishing him 
 because he is going as fast as his powers will enable 
 him. 
 
 Horses have retentive memories, and there is no 
 doubt many will cease to struggle at the moment 
 they are called upon to do so from reminiscences of 
 former punishment. 
 
 The termination of a well ridden race is an en- 
 thusiastic moment, not merely with the spectators, 
 but also with the performers. Many a winnino- 
 jockey is lauded to the skies for his incomparable ex- 
 hibition of jockey ship; yet the unlucky wight who 
 happens to be second, although he may have evinced 
 greater skill, seldom receives any honours, and is 
 frequently censured for not having made his rush 
 earlier — for having made it too soon — for havinc 
 made the pace too strong — or not fast enough, — in 
 short, for having attempted, or having omitted to do, 
 something it was not in his power to accomplish. 
 
 Whether it is most judicious to make running, or 
 ride a waiting race, is a question to be settled by a 
 variety of circumstances. The natural endowments 
 of the horse are paramount considerations, — his age, 
 condition, the weights, the distance, the character 
 (whether it be assumed or known) of his opponents, 
 are subjects by which the determination must be 
 
RACE RIDING. 217 
 
 governed. So many advantages attend the waiting 
 principle, that it is most frequently advisable to adopt 
 it. When there is a considerable number of runners 
 the pace is usually strong enough ; in such cases, a 
 ihorse that waits most frequently has the best of it at 
 the conclusion. The general opinion that, if a horse 
 has greatly the advantage of weight, he should make 
 the running, must not be received as an invariable 
 rule. That a true run race will be favourable to him is 
 ivery likely, when, if he possesses a good turn of speed, 
 the lightness of the weight will, in all probability, 
 enable him to get home by waiting. Here it is 
 necessary to remark that every horse has his distance ; 
 land although it does not appear to be in conformity 
 iwith good judgment to disregard this circumstance, 
 there may be occasions when it is expedient to do 
 so : in those cases the best alternative will be to 
 assimilate the distance as nearly as possible to the 
 mode of running. 
 
 There are, doubtless, many occasions when it is 
 imperative to make the running : this applies to stout 
 game horses, having undergone a strong preparation 
 with favourable weights, but deficient in speed. The 
 known or assumed want of condition in an opponent 
 also affords a reason for making the pace effective. 
 
 All these events, conjointly or singly, require to be 
 maturely studied, and the favourable issue denotes 
 Jthe skill of the owner or trainer in this important 
 branch of racing tactics. 
 
218 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 HANDICAPPING, AND THE EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 
 
 Prevailing Taste. — Connection between Betting and Handica} 
 Races. — Policy of Handicaps. — Tendency to encourage Frauds 
 
 — Protest of the Jockey Club. — Penalties for Frauds. — Useles: 
 Punishment censured. — Qualifications of Handicappers . — Difficul 
 ties connected with the Duty. — Reasons why the Public are Jer 
 
 into Error Pace. — Influence of -Pace. — Light "Weights. — Ar 
 
 gument relative to Weights. — Mistaken Notions respecting Weights 
 
 — Handicapping dark Horses. — Necessity for a System of Han 
 dicapping. — Handicappers should see Horses run. — Stratagem 
 detected. — Extra Weights for Frauds. — The Principle denounce! 
 by Offenders. — Their Arguments confuted. — Impossibility of Han 
 dicapping from Paper. — Handicap Committee. — Illicit Practice 
 defeated by System. — Paid Handicappers. — Horses started a I 
 Country Meetings, for certain Purposes. — Advantages of a Com 
 mittee. — Firmness indispensable in a Handicapper. — An Occur 
 reuce. — Responsibility of Stewards and Committees. — Distinction 
 between Handicappers, Starters, and Judges of Races. — Re 
 
 strictive Powers Owners of Horses and Trainers complete th 
 
 Handicaps. 
 
 However numerous the objections which may b< 
 urged against the prevailing number of handicap en- 
 gagements entered into at every meeting, to inveigl 
 against them would be useless, for they engross 
 public favour ; and to attempt to turn the current o: 
 fashion, although the waters may abound with im- 
 purities, is an unavailing task. The propensity foi 
 betting, which has been for years on the increase 
 and which has arrived at an unprecedented height 
 
HANDICAPPING, AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 219 
 
 las in a great degree been promoted by handicapping. 
 Betting has likewise encouraged handicapping; so 
 hat they have cherished each other, and have each 
 gained an ascendancy with which it is difficult to 
 ;ontend. 
 
 The welfare of racing has a formidable adver- 
 ary in the present system of handicapping; not 
 ;hat the principle would be objectionable if it could 
 le fairly dealt with, but the difficulty exists in 
 vorking that principle justly. Handicap races are 
 •pen inducements to commit frauds, because they 
 uggest premiums to persons to run their horses for 
 stakes which they do not intend to win ; or others, 
 with, as they imagine, a shade more of compunction 
 n their consciences, start their horses without giving 
 hem due and sufficient preparation. Neither in 
 ogic, theory, or practice, is there much distinction 
 Detween the two devices ; they are both intended for 
 the same purpose, that of leading handicappers and 
 others astray. The Jockey Club give notice of their 
 extreme disapprobation of horses being started for 
 races without the intention on the part of the owners 
 of trying to win with them. To this might be added 
 kvith equal effect, of horses being started when out of 
 condition, or of persons in any other way misleading 
 the public by delusive practices. Such artifices 
 cannot be controlled by any mandates, rules, or laws ; 
 they can only be met by disappointing and defeating 
 the purpose ; in plain terms, by weighting such 
 horses, not in accordance with their running, but 
 according to the intended fraud on the part of their 
 
220 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 owners. There is likewise another difficulty con- 
 nected with handicapping which cannot be overcome 
 that is, with respect to horses absolutely and fairh 
 beaten, and consequently pulled up a long way fron 
 the winning post. Supposing, for example, a dozei 
 horses start for a stake, distance one mile ; when i 
 quarter of a mile from home eight or nine of then 
 may be in difficulties; and their jockies perceiving that 
 will not attempt to persevere. Useless, wanton, ill 
 judged punishment is at all times censurable. A lav 
 that would promote it would be even more censurabL I 
 on the part of those who proposed it, than the ac | 
 itself. No rule or decree could ever be brought int< 
 effect to compel persons to run their horses to th ; 
 end when decidedly beaten; and humanity wouL 
 intercede even if any such rule were to be suggested 
 To be enabled to make good handicaps it is neces 
 sary to be well acquainted with pedigrees, and th< 
 peculiar qualities which are inherited. A handicappe 
 must, in every sense of the word, be a good judge o 
 racing, the effects of weight and condition ; moreove: 
 he should be a very critical observer of mankind; tha 
 is to say, without there being a necessity for persona 
 intimacy, it is highly desirable that he should knov, 
 how to handicap the tactics and intentions of th( 
 owners, as well as the capabilities of their horses 
 If horses always ran to win, handicapping would be 
 a more easy and a far more agreeable duty, and still 
 there would be quite sufficient in the items where- 
 with the glorious uncertainty of the turf is iden- 
 tified, to maintain the aphorism, and create ex- 
 
1 HANDICAPPING, AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 221 
 
 itement. The supposition that any man can han- 
 licap a dozen horses to run a mile, which shall all 
 ome in within three or four lengths of each other, 
 3 too chimerical to be realised, even if every 
 lorse had run upon his merits on former occasions, 
 rhere are the variations of condition, or rather 
 >erfect fitness on the day, to be anticipated, which no 
 aortal can determine with accuracy ; the effect which 
 (articular courses may have on the action of certain 
 iorses, and the state in which the ground may be on 
 jhe day of running ; the science of the jockies en- 
 gaged, the qualifications of some to ride particular 
 torses, the incapacity of others ; the tempers of 
 iorses, and other incidents, at all times beyond the 
 each of human foresight. There is also another 
 ircumstance which frequently baffles the good in- 
 entions and skill of a handicapper, — that is, the dis- 
 ance which horses are able to run. There are many 
 vhich cannot stay more than a mile, or even that, in 
 aoderate company ; a vast number that cannot stay 
 he same distance in good company; and yet these 
 iorses are to be handicapped to run two miles with 
 uch a distinction between the weights as shall be sup- 
 >osed to give each horse a chance. But without an 
 normous disparity in the weights it is impossible to 
 :>ring horses together when some can only run half a 
 aile, and it is the forte of others to run two miles. 
 fhis is what so often leads the public into error. 
 Chey conceive, because a horse has run forward in a 
 hort race, with a certain weight, that in a longer 
 ace, with a much more liberal allowance, he must 
 
222 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 win. In many instances a handicapper has no oppor 
 tunity of knowing the length of ground over wind 
 certain horses can run, from their not having beei 
 en^ao-ed in races beyond a given distance ; in som 
 cases their owners are equally in the dark, from no 
 having carefully tried them; but it may generall; 
 be inferred that the course a horse is most frequentl; 
 in the habit of showing upon, is that which is sup 
 posed to be the most suitable. 
 
 The pace at which a race is run has a most pro 
 minent influence on the performance of most of th 
 candidates, and especially with reference to weighl 
 In fact it is only when the pace is true that th 
 effect of weight is brought into operation. There i 
 generally but little to complain of in this respec 
 with the great handicaps under the present custoi 
 of exceedingly light weights. It is absurd to sur 
 pose that children, riding 4 St., can hold all sorts ( 
 horses ; they can merely sit upon them, and if the 
 can o-uide them, it is as much as can be expected. 
 
 One of the prevailing inconsistencies in racing, i 
 the present time, is the extraordinary infatuation fc 
 light weights. If a handicap begins at 8 st. 71b 
 and goes down to 4 st., with any thing like a jus 
 proportion between the respective animals, there wi 
 be a good acceptance ; but if it commences at 10 s 
 7 lb., and descends to 5st. 7 lb., the contented part 
 will not be numerous. It may be imagined that a 
 the difference between the highest and lowest weighl 
 proposed in the light weight handicap is 4 st. 7 lb 
 the same distinction should be made in the heav 
 
HANDICAPPING, AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 223 
 
 weight handicap, and therefore the lowest weight in 
 he latter must be 6 st. 7 lb. ; but that should not be 
 ;he case, because the inferior young ones would re- 
 quire a trifle more allowance in the higher than the 
 ower scale. It may be assumed, as one of the rea- 
 sons why the light handicaps are mostly in favour, 
 ;hat the owner of a good five years old horse 
 'ancies he cannot give the bad three years old 5 St., 
 3ut holds him cheap, giving 4 st. 7 lb. In favour 
 )f the light weight scale, it will be argued that 4 st. 
 is nothing for a horse to carry ; but it must be re- 
 membered that the high weights will admit the ser- 
 vices of riders with some pretensions on the young 
 3nes, which in reality more than compensates for the 
 extreme lightness. 
 
 There are many persons who entertain very mis- 
 taken notions respecting the effect of weight, pre- 
 suming that a high scale of weights is favourable to 
 slow horses ; but that is not the case, as a general 
 principle. If three or four horses are close together, 
 each carryiDg 9 st., they will not be far apart carry- 
 ing 12 st., unless it be some weak, bad-actioned, 
 half- trained brutes not worth keeping ; and even 
 with them the difference will not be found upon 
 trial to be very considerable; distance, as I have 
 already remarked, and the state of the ground, will 
 make a wonderful alteration. 
 
 It frequently happens that a handicap includes 
 a number of horses that have never run : to ad- 
 just their weights must be a matter of chance ; for 
 there is no line to be taken as a guide. The only 
 
224 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 alternative, in such cases, is to handicap them from 
 pedigree, — the performance of their sires and dams, 
 and that of brothers and sisters, if any have been 
 running ; and at the same time that it would be an 
 act of injustice to their owners to assign them the 
 top weights of their year, it would be equally un- 
 just to other persons to turn them loose. 
 
 The practice of handicapping requires remodelling 
 altogether ; and, to be rendered satisfactory, must be 
 reduced to a system. It is utterly impossible for 
 any man to make a just handicap unless he has seen 
 all the horses run that have been out, or receives 
 information from some competent person, upon whom 
 he can rely, who has seen them, and carefully noted 
 the appearance, condition, and manner of running of 
 each horse. An attentive and experienced observer 
 can in most cases detect the stratagem when horses 
 are brought to the post unprepared, are pulled up 
 purposely, or do not run to the end. In the first 
 two cases, the owner should be complimented with 
 an additional 10 lb. penalty on his horse. Many pre- 
 cedents have been given for doing so ; and much has 
 been said and written against it by the offended, or 
 rather offending, parties; but it is in strict con- 
 formity with justice. 
 
 I remember, some years ago, an instance of this 
 kind, when much eloquence was expended against 
 the hardship and alleged cruelty of inflicting upon 
 the horse the sins of his owner — than which argu- 
 ment nothing can be more fallacious. No man, en- 
 dowed with Nature's inestimable gift — the common 
 
HANDICAPPING, AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 225 
 
 feeling of humanity — would ever lend himself to the 
 punishment of an animal for the purpose of retaliating 
 on his delinquent master. But that is not the spirit 
 in which it is clone, or the effect produced ; the in- 
 tent and meaning of a handicap is to adjust the 
 weights so equitably that the chances of every one 
 shall, in human estimation, be the same. A man 
 who has been running his horse, to " get him well 
 in," as it is termed, will not punish the horse by 
 running him with the extra weight, — and even if he 
 did, the twofold sin would lie on him, — but rather 
 than run, he will pay the forfeit ; in which case, it 
 is the owner's pocket and not the animal which 
 suffers. To handicap horses fairly from their run- 
 ning, on paper is out of the question. Suppose, for 
 example, a horse is returned as having been beaten 
 ten lengths, which is tantamount to the expression 
 that it was no race at all, ergo no trial ; in such a 
 case, it is not improbable, the winner could have 
 won double or treble the distance with any thing to 
 run him in ; and it is equally probable, had the 
 second horse persevered, which he may or may not 
 have done, that he could have got nearer than ten 
 lengths at the winning post. A person who sees a 
 race so terminated has a far better chance of forming 
 a correct estimate of the true form of the horses 
 which ran, than he can possibly do by the vague 
 intimation already mentioned. One individual could 
 not, by any possibility, see every race that is run, as 
 it frequently happens that there are two or three 
 meetings on the same day in distant parts of the 
 
 Q 
 
226 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 kingdom. No other plan than that of having a 
 committee of experienced persons to make the handi- 
 caps can ever be satisfactory. They are as necessary 
 to form a portion of the staff of the turf as Messrs. 
 Hibburd, the starter ; Clarke, the judge ; and Man- 
 ning, the president over the scales. These stakes 
 have now grown to so much importance as to render 
 such an arrangement evidently requisite. Twenty 
 years ago there was not the same occasion for it ; 
 handicap races were not so numerous, neither was 
 there any thing like the number of horses entered 
 for the respective stakes. A system has been adopted 
 by a certain class of racing men, to take advantage 
 of their competitors ; and it has, therefore, become 
 desirable to adopt a system to defeat their purposes. 
 Many of the great handicaps are made by persons 
 who are employed by the committees, and are, con- 
 sequently, paid for their labour. When the person 
 selected has been one of experience, the result has 
 usually been successful : but there are many objec- 
 tions against the employment of one person only to 
 make the handicaps, — not because it would be im- 
 practicable to select one perfectly free from bribery, 
 corruption, or contamination of any kind, or who 
 would be deficient in every species of probity, or 
 the knowledge which is requisite, — but simply be- 
 cause the faculty of ubiquity cannot be procured, 
 and it is imperative that every meeting in the 
 kingdom should be attended. Horses are sent to 
 little, unimportant country meetings, to run for 
 trifling stakes, which they do not win, in order to 
 
HANDICAPPING, AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 227 
 
 get light weights in future handicaps, quite as fre- 
 quently as to the popular races. It is an invidious 
 position for any individual to be placed in, if singly 
 he is subjected to the attacks of dissatisfied persons : 
 that would, in a great measure, be * obviated if the 
 handicaps were made by a committee. It would be 
 the committee, not an individual member of that 
 committee, who had decided upon the weights ; and 
 no person would be so foolish as to evince discourtesy 
 to a respectable body, possessing much influence. 
 
 No man should ever attempt to make a handicap, 
 unless he has resolution sufficient to bear with calm- 
 ness the insignificant remarks that may be passed 
 upon it ; and if any owners of horses are so indiscreet 
 as to behave discourteously to a handicapper, the 
 better way to ensure their respect in future is, for 
 him to favour their horses with a trifle more weight 
 on subsequent occasions. I was once placed in this 
 predicament. At a country meeting I was requested, 
 by one of the stewards, who was not a racing man, to 
 assist him in making a free handicap of all the horses 
 at the meeting ; and when it was published, a certain 
 individual, knowing I was concerned in fixing the 
 weights, attacked me with much discourtesy, declaring 
 he would not accept. My reply was, he must please 
 himself, but I doubted whether he would find his 
 horse more favourably regarded. On the following 
 day his horse won a plate ; and there was a forced 
 handicap as a finale, with which I was entrusted. I 
 put 5 lb. on this person's horse for winning the 
 plate, and 7 lb. extra for his impertinence : he 
 q 2 
 
228 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 started for the forced handicap, and won it ; and I 
 have assisted in making several handicaps since, in 
 which the same individual's horses have been entered, 
 but I have experienced no recurrence of his in- 
 civility. 
 
 "Whether the stewards or committees of race meet- 
 ings make the handicaps themselves, or depute other 
 persons to do so, the former ought to be regarded as 
 responsible for the justness of their handicaps. In the 
 first instance, the proposal emanates from them ; and 
 as they have the power of fixing the weights, or in 
 the event of their feeling themselves inadequate to j 
 that task, of appointing a deputy, the onus of the 
 composition ought, most undeniably, to rest with 
 
 them. 
 
 Handicappers are in a different position to starters 
 and judges of races. Until the event is decided, the 
 weight which any horse ought to carry is a matter 
 of opinion. The fairness of a start is a matter of 
 fact, and so is the decision of the judge. A starter 
 has the power of levying a penalty, or fine of money, 
 on any jockey who attempts to take unfair advan- 
 tage ; and, on the same principle, a handicapper 
 ought to be armed with the authority to award I 
 penalty in the form of weight upon every horse that 
 has been run unfairly. The fiat of a judge is scarcely 
 ever impeached. A handicap committee would go far 
 to discourage the expression of captious, vexatious, 
 and impertinent cavillings. If it were not thought 
 expedient to invest them with the power of appor- 
 tioning extra weight for notorious offences or petty 
 
HANDICAPPING, AND EFFECT OF WEIGHT. 229 
 
 delinquencies, that difficulty might be readily over- 
 come by an understanding that such penalties should 
 be awarded on representing the cause or causes to 
 the stewards, in whom the power now exists. 
 
 After all, it must be remembered that it is the 
 owners of horses and their trainers who give the 
 finishing touch to the handicaps. It is they who 
 separate the worthy from the unworthy ; and if a 
 handicapper makes mistakes in overweighting those 
 which are beaten off, how much greater reason have 
 the owners to feel annoyed with themselves for 
 running, than with the handicapper, who had held 
 the animals in too great estimation, without having 
 the same opportunities of ascertaining their real 
 qualifications. 
 
 Q 3 
 
230 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 Commencement of Racing. — Progress of Racing. — Introduction 
 of Betting. — Book -making. — Importance of Betting to Racing. 
 
 — A Delusion. — "Way in which Betting is prejudicial to 
 the Turf. — Analysis of Betting. — Popularity of Racing. — 
 Effects of populous Meetings. — Present Condition of Racing. — 
 A Glance at the Rules of Racing. — Racing as an Amusement for 
 the People. — Not suitable as a Speculation for the Million. — Effects 
 of Handicaps on the Breed of Horses. — Then Effects on Racing. 
 
 — Comparison of the Condition of Hunters and Race-horses. — 
 Condition promoted by suitable Food. — Necessity of pure Ah* and 
 Exercise. — Large Enclosures not conducive to Exercise. — Com- 
 parison. — Evils of large Pasture-fields. — Reasons why half-bred 
 Stock is, in general, longer in coming to Maturity than thorough- 
 bred. — Argument. — Conclusion. 
 
 Racing in this kingdom is generally considered to 
 have originated in the reign of Henry II., when the 
 young citizens of London were wont to assemble on 
 Sunday mornings during Lent for the purpose of 
 exercising and divertino; themselves on horseback at 
 Smithfield, — or, as it was then called, Smoothfield, 
 — where they exhibited a sort of tournament, armed 
 with shields and lances ; the younger branches 
 amusing themselves with racing. There are, how- 
 ever, no records of the results; and although it 
 is probable these diversions were never entirely dis- 
 continued, it was not till the reign of James I. that 
 
REMARKS. 231 
 
 public races were established. From that period we 
 may date the commencement of this amusement as a 
 national spectacle, which, with some interruptions 
 during the disturbed era of the Commonwealth, 
 have been gradually advancing to the present day. 
 James I., Charles I., Oliver Cromwell, and Charles 
 II., individually countenanced the establishment of 
 racing by importing sires and dams to infuse noble 
 blood among the native breed of horses, and the 
 Merry Monarch gave great encouragement to the 
 diversion ; but I am not able to discover any regular 
 records of racing performances till the time of Queen 
 Anne, who patronised the sport by keeping horses 
 and offering gold cups for prizes. Thus it is near 
 upon two centuries and a half since racing com- 
 menced as a public amusement ; and about one 
 century and a half, that Ave are in possession of 
 documentary evidence of events. Very great ad- 
 vancement is perceptible during the last five-and- 
 twenty years. 
 
 When betting was first introduced as an addi- 
 tional excitement is a fact which cannot be accurately 
 determined ; but it was evidently in operation as 
 early as 1718, when one Thomas Duck, who was 
 riding a horse named Crutches, at York, on whom 
 high odds were laid, and who was leading near the 
 distance, threw himself off intentionally : thus a man 
 incurred the risk of breaking his bones to do that 
 which is now perhaps sometimes accomplished, but 
 with less danger, less probability of detection, and 
 q 4 
 
232 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 with more adroitness. The period when book-making 
 was ushered into existence, was not, in all probability, 
 till the St. Legers, Derbys, and Oaks engagements 
 had assumed an importance. The "ring," like a 
 goodly family, has increased vastly ; and if it con- 
 tinues to multiply in a similar ratio, it will in the 
 course of time include every member of the human 
 species. 
 
 Some of the most zealous supporters of the turf 
 sanction and approve of betting, and argue that it is 
 essential to the interest of breeders, and owners of 
 race-horses, affording them opportunities of augment- 
 ing their profits, whereby they expect to meet the 
 outlay of capital incidental to the enterprise for which 
 the mere chance of winning public stakes is held to 
 be insufficient. I rather fancy there is some delusion 
 in this. If betting could be confined within the 
 limits of moderation it would be another affair ; but 
 it is in consequence of the immense stakes upon 
 various great events that the infamous practices of 
 making horses safe are resorted to. The unfortunate 
 extent which such species of robberies have reached 
 renders it very difficult on all occasions to guard 
 against them. The majority of those who make 
 books live by that means, and their annual expenses 
 are not trifling items ; they no doubt, in many in- 
 stances, gain extensively from the public; but I 
 am quite inclined to the belief that they draw 
 annually a vast deal more money from the turf, that 
 is from owners of horses, than they, the betting com- 
 
REMARKS. 233 
 
 munity, pay to those sources. A nobleman or gentle- 
 man may have a very superior horse engaged in 
 a popular stake : he may back the horse ; the exciting 
 propensity for betting enables him to do so to an un- 
 limited amount, and probably enables him to obtain 
 longer odds than he would otherwise be able to pro- 
 cure ; but what is the very frequent result ? Various 
 attempts to make the horse safe are devised, which, 
 when they are successful, necessarily occasion loss. 
 These peculations cannot enrich breeders and owners 
 of horses ; and I think, on the average, those who are 
 actually engaged in the legitimate pursuit of racing, 
 will acknowledge they do not derive a profit from 
 betting on their own horses. An objectionable in- 
 fluence may be recognised as the companion of heavy 
 betting in the inducement afforded to persons having 
 control over horses to perpetrate nefarious actions. 
 What would cause a man to draw his horse at the 
 eleventh hour, when quite well and fit to run for a 
 great stake, but the money he can gain through 
 agents by betting against his horse ? Entering a 
 horse for a race implies, in its abstract meaning, the 
 desire of the owner to win the stake ; and in that 
 light the public are entitled to consider the trans- 
 action. Then, again, the owner of the horse does not 
 compel people to bet, though, by specious persuasion, 
 le may sometimes be the occasion of their doing so. 
 [t is a voluntary act, and as such, when men bet and 
 ose their money, it should operate as a caution not to 
 suffer themselves to be duped in future. If people 
 
234 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 bet concerning events over which they have no con- 
 trol, — but over which, to a certain extent, others 
 have, — it behoves those who are determined to 
 speculate, to ascertain, as nearly a3 possible, the pro- 
 bable intentions of those who are invested with so 
 much influence. To render humanity immaculate is 
 an impossibility ; and in pecuniary transactions it 
 only betrays ignorance of human nature whenever a 
 proper want of caution is displayed. 
 
 An analysis of betting really exhibits some very 
 curious anomalies. Bets are transactions founded on 
 the opinion or judgment of one person contrasted 
 Avith that of another. They are transactions depen- 
 dent entirely upon the honour of each party, because 
 there is no legal authority to compel ' the liquidation 
 of contracts, or adjudicate on disputes. Bets on 
 horse-races are decided by events upon which the 
 most dishonourable tricks are capable of being prac- 
 tised ; and although it cannot be denied that there 
 are a vast number of fraudulent devices concocted, 
 it is more than doubtful whether they are in equal 
 ratio with similar delinquencies perpetrated in the 
 commercial world, and other fields for speculation 
 where law exists for protection. 
 
 An excessive amount of betting certainly attracts 
 a vast concourse of people to the scene of action 
 whenever any great event has to be disposed of, but 
 whether it is conducive to the welfare of racing 
 appears very questionable. However the million 
 may contribute to the increase of attendance at a race 
 
REMAKES. 235 
 
 meeting, and thereby augment the receipts of grand 
 stands, and other places of accommodation and 
 amusement, it is the nobility and gentlemen who 
 breed and keep horses who are the real supporters of 
 racing. At the same time, it is fair to remember, 
 that at most meetings the public contribute something 
 towards the expenses, inasmuch as sums of money 
 are often given by proprietors of grand stands, rail- 
 way companies, and others, who derive profits from 
 the multitude. There has been a conflicting struggle 
 for some time past as to whether racing should main- 
 tain its original character as a national amusement, 
 or become a pursuit of speculation. With some ex- 
 ceptions, so far as those are concerned who are 
 actually engaged in it, it has very nearly arrived at 
 the latter condition. And yet thousands attend the 
 course merely as spectators to enjoy a holiday. 
 
 There is great occasion for a revision of the rules 
 by which racing transactions are controlled, for they 
 have not been altered and adapted in all cases to 
 meet circumstances. Speculative engagements re- 
 quire rules and restrictions which are not essential to 
 the prosperity of an amusement. A law to restrain 
 the great propensity which reigns among the people, 
 for betting on horse-racing, would unquestionably 
 afford a great assistance to the sport, whether it be 
 regarded as a national amusement, or a speculative 
 engagement: such laws would no doubt be intro- 
 duced with a view to the preservation of public 
 morals; still their effects on racing would be equally 
 
236 STABLE PBACTICE. 
 
 beneficial. Simply received as an amusement, racing 
 presents many attractions to the public. It enables 
 the peer and the peasant to enjoy one object ; and it 
 is quite certain the lower orders conduct themselves 
 with more decorum in those assemblies, where their 
 superiors preside over them ; and so long as the 
 tradesman, mechanic, or labourer, conducts himself 
 with propriety, he is as much entitled to the enjoy- 
 ment of a popular field sport or spectacle, as his 
 patron or employer ; and it is really wonderful, but 
 exceedingly gratifying, that such immense numbers 
 should congregate together without committing any 
 kind of disturbance or acts of confusion. But when 
 persons, who have other occupations, meddle with 
 the machinery of the race-course, they assuredly in- 
 volve themselves in difficulties, as much as a jockey 
 would if he were to attempt to amuse himself with 
 mules and spinning-jennies. The public amusements 
 of a nation ought to be common to all, but it is im- 
 possible for different classes to enter promiscuously 
 into engagements and occupations of a private nature; 
 their manners and modes of living are widely dif- 
 ferent, and indeed opposed to each other, and the 
 properties of distinction must be preserved. Repub- 
 lican principles may be very delightful in theory, 
 but when put in practice in old countries they pro- 
 duce constant contentions and revolutions. 
 
 The very commonly expressed opinion that handi- 
 caps are conducive to the production of a weedy, 
 degenerate class of horses requires to be qualified. 
 
REMARKS. 237 
 
 That they are the very hot-beds of fraud there is 
 little doubt, and they certainly are means whereby a 
 worthless wretch is sometimes enabled to realise a 
 good stake ; but that is not logically an encourage- 
 ment to persons to breed powerless stock; it is 
 simply an inducement to persons to breed a greater 
 number, and in that greater number the fair assump- 
 tion is that there will be a proportion of good ones. 
 When handicaps are conducted upon the principle, 
 that every horse which runs fairly to win is weighted 
 according to his merits, and every horse that does 
 not run honestly is weighted according to the inten- 
 tions of his owner, then will handicapping no longer 
 retain an objectionable position on the British Turf. 
 Taking into consideration the sreat attention be- 
 stowed on the condition of hounds, and, consequently, 
 the pace at which they cross the country, it needs 
 but very little argument to show that hunters which 
 are to accompany them require to be quite as fit 
 as race-horses, and the means of promoting their 
 condition is nearly alike. Hunters are called upon 
 to go indefinite distances at considerable speed over 
 all kinds of ground, — some hard, some deep and 
 holding. E ace-horses are only required to run spe- 
 cified distances. The bodily exertion which they 
 undergo in running is therefore frequently less se- 
 vere than that of hunters. It is the ordeal of train- 
 ing race-horses that involves the principal portion of 
 their labours, and it is the quantity and pace of 
 preparatory work which forms the distinction be- 
 
238 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 tween the treatment of the two. In the stable no 
 difference should be observed. 
 
 The difficulties of the trainer and hunting groom 
 will be very greatly diminished, if the animals placed 
 under their care have been well managed in their 
 younger days. The recommendations which I have 
 offered are such as are calculated to produce that 
 effect. By the selection of the most appropriate 
 food, namely, hay and corn, as the prevailing source 
 of nourishment, in preference to a quantity of green, 
 succulent food, the healthy condition of the blood is 
 promoted, which, as I have endeavoured to explain, 
 is the source from whence health is derived, and also 
 the formation of those elements which constitute 
 muscular fibre — tendinous substances, and bone. 
 This must be assisted with a pure atmosphere, and 
 an abundance of exercise bordering on work suitable 
 at all seasons to the age and constitution of the 
 subject. It is absurd to suppose that these desi- 
 derata are to be obtained by enlargement in spacious 
 grass fields or parks abounding in herbage, where the 
 exercise of the occupants cannot be expected to assi- 
 milate with the proportion or extent of the pasture ; 
 if so, an immense expanse would be the most desirable ; 
 but horses seldom, if ever, take more exercise in 
 enclosures of one hundred acres than in paddocks of 
 one acre. In either case, they saunter about in 
 search of food ; but that is not exercise conducive 
 to the vigorous development of the frame. As well 
 
REMARKS. 239 
 
 might we call that man in condition who enjoys his 
 ease during the winter season in London, and in the 
 summer lounges on the parades of Brighton, or other 
 watering places, compared with another who devotes 
 his time to fox-hunting and other field sports in their 
 succession, with cricket to keep up the exercise in 
 summer. 
 
 In large fields horses may, at times, be alarmed 
 and excited to gallop about ; and having done so to 
 the inducement of perspiration, they stand still to 
 cool themselves, and lay the foundation of incurable 
 disorders. Upon that principle, any restriction of 
 food essential to health is impossible. This is one of 
 the chief reasons why half-bred stock reared by the 
 generality of farmers is not so capable of enduring 
 as much labour at five years old as thorough -bred 
 ones, treated as they ought to be, and as they gene- 
 rally are, at four years old. Yet, when properly 
 managed, half-bred stock are equally fit for work at 
 the early period. 
 
 The aid of arithmetic is not necessary to prove 
 that if an animal is rendered capable of performing, 
 at four years old, what another is not equal to endure 
 until the succeeding year, whereby an unnecessary 
 addition of expense is incurred, the former is the 
 most profitable course. 
 
 With this brief summary I will therefore close my 
 labours, in the hope that the observations conveyed 
 in this little work may assist in bringing many win- 
 
240 STABLE PRACTICE. 
 
 ners to the post; whose success, in the hands of 
 popular sportsmen, will be hailed with enthusiasm ; 
 
 and also, that such as may be devoted to the 
 
 hunting field will, on numerous occasions, carry their 
 riders in prominent positions, and bear them to the 
 end of many a good chase to join in the exulting 
 Who— oop ! 
 
 THE END. 
 
 London : 
 
 Spottiswoodes and Shaw, 
 
 New-street-Square. 
 
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