PONIES 



103 



measurer knows his business. To shave the withers so 

 as to remove all possible hair, and to pare the heels down 

 closely cannot be objected to, though if this last process 

 is carried too far the soles may get bruised, and the 

 horse become lame, so self-interest may be relied upon 

 to prevent this being carried to extremes. 



But another mode of getting round the measurer is also 

 attempted — that of teaching the horse to stretch itself out 

 with its legs far apart, in the style beloved of hackney 

 grooms, when showing off their charges. This also troubled 

 our ancestors, in the old days of Give and Take Plates ; and 

 the old stone on which the competitors were measured 

 on York race-course is even now in existence, in the paddock 

 of York race-stand, and may be seen at any time by any one 

 interested in memorials of the past. It is believed to be the 

 only one now remaining, and provides a valuable object- 

 lesson of the ingenuity of our forefathers in defeating the 

 wily trainers of their time. It was in use till the early part 

 of the last century. 



The stone itself is 6 ft. 4 in. long by 3 ft. 3 in. broad, and has 

 two lines cut on it, '2 feet in length, and 5 feet distant from 

 each other. The stone itself is perfectly flat. 



The length from one line to the other is the extreme 

 distance the animal was allowed to extend its forefeet from 

 its hind ones ; and the length of the short lines ('2 feet) 

 was the distance allowed between the two fore-feet and 

 hind-feet. 



In Give and Take Plates horses carried weight for age, 

 and weight for inches. 



The usual scale was : 13 hands carried 7 stone, with 



