444 MANUAL OF MODERJs^ FARRIERY. 



morality, or probably affect the interests, characters, or 

 feelings of others not parties to the wager, are legal, and 

 may be recovered in a court of justice. 



KECOGNISED LAWS OF RACING. 



Horses take their ages from May-day, i. e. a horse foaled 

 any time during the year 1846, will be considered a year 

 old on the 1st of May, 1847. 



Horses are measured by what is termed hands — four 

 inches are a hand ; and jockey weight is fourteen pounds to 

 a stone. 



Catch weights are, that each party making a bet may 

 appoint persons to ride without weighing. 



Give and take plates are, fourteen hands to carry a stated 

 weight, all above to carry extra weight, or under to be 

 allowed the proportion of seven pounds to one inch above 

 or below. 



A whim plate consists of weight for age, and weight for 

 inches. 



A post match is, to insert the age of the horse in the 

 articles, and to run any horse of that age without a previous 

 declaration of what horse, until you bring him to the start- 

 ing-post. 



A handicap match is, A, B, and C are to put an equal sum 

 each into a hat : C, who is considered the handicapper, 

 makes a match for A and B, who, when they have perused 

 it, put their hands into their pockets, and draw them out 

 closed ; and on opening them, if both have money in their 

 hands, the match is confirmed, but if neither have money it 

 is no match. In both cases the handicapper draws all the 

 money out of the hat ; but if one has money in his hand, 

 and the other none, then it is no match, and he that has 

 money in his hand is entitled to the deposit in the hat, 



