TRAINING FOR RACING, POINT-TO-POINT 363 



measures be adopted accordingly. A delicate feeder needs 

 to be very closely watched, and light tasks should be given 

 to it, though when it is asked to gallop it should generally 

 be sent along at a very fast pace to keep the wind in order. 

 The rest of its work should be rather that of an ordinary 

 hack. I once had a horse, Baccarat, in training who whilst 

 with me won the only mile and a quarter race he ever won, 

 though a frequent winner at five and six furlongs, and he 

 only had a fast gallop every third day, or he went off his feed 

 at once. In my possession he showed better form than he 

 had ever done before, and throve on his work instead of 

 looking all skin and bone. 



The best of food and water must of course be provided, for 

 it is folly to attempt to train a horse and feed it upon 

 inferior hay or oats, just because they happen to be on the 

 spot. It is false economy to use anything but the very best 

 provender, thus running the risk of upsetting the digestion. 

 The measure of corn for each horse is what he can 

 continue to consume with advantage to himself, and during 

 the daytime the manger should be emptied of any corn left 

 half an hour after the feed has been given. Any horse that 

 has quickly finished up his allowance may then be given an 

 additional double handful, and the capacity of each animal 

 should soon be learned. Delicate feeders, which eat very 

 little in the daytime, will often make up for it when all 

 is quiet at night, and such should always be given a double 

 feed at the last meal, which they will probably finish up to 

 the last grain before the morning. A careful man who is 

 a good feeder, quickly understanding the capacity and 

 idiosyncrasy of each horse, is one of the most valuable 

 assets a racing-stable can possess. 



Some rock-salt should always be in the manger, or if there 

 are local difficulties with regard to this, a tablespoonful of 

 kitchen salt should be put into each bran mash. I have 

 invariably given the horses two mashes a week with linseed 

 gruel in them, as a rule on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and 

 let them have easy exercise the morning after. It is 

 more usual to give but one mash a week, but the proof of 

 the pudding is in the eating ; and as the horses are crammed 



