MODERN FARRIEK. ^ 239 



never obstruct his wind or shorten his stroke; and 

 many horses, from habit probably, will slacken their 

 speed on the rein being slacked. 



The rider of the speediest horse will, in course, 

 make a waiting race ; that is to say, keep behind at 

 a favourable distance, in order to preserve his horse's 

 superior speed for the last run. The distance must 

 not, however, be too considerable, by which error 

 many races have been lost. For example, in a 

 sweepstakes, where the speediest and best horses 

 have sometimes waited so long on each other, that 

 the rider of an inferior and unnoticed horse has 

 taken the advantage, and advanced so far, that, at 

 last, the best could not overtake him. The speedv 

 horse must be favoured also over heavy ground and 

 up-hill. The opposite directions will, consequently, 

 serve for the slow and stout horse. In making the 

 play, however, which is taking the lead, and espe- 

 cially in a four-mile race, it must be considered that 

 the stoutest racer may be run to a stand-still ; there- 

 fore the rider must not at first take too much upon his 

 horse, but keep a few pulls in hand for an occasion; 

 yet go along at such a rate as to keep his speedier 

 antagonist at warm work, wearing him out by de- 

 grees : in such a race, the stoutest horse will win, 

 unless he is greatly out-footed. In a race of a single 

 mile, or a mile and a half, between a speedy horse, 

 with the common defect of that class, inability to 

 run up to his foot, and a stout and honest horse, that 

 will run through the piece, it may be necessary for 

 the rider of the latter to set off at scores, and run all 

 the way through, attending only to the single con- 

 sideration, that he does not blow or burst his horse, 

 of which he ought to be a judge. 



It may be proper, in this place to advert to the 

 distinct qualities in the racer, of stoutness and Jio- 

 nesty, a discrimination seldom made, but to be 

 aware of which may be sometimes of consequence. 

 A horse may be honest without being stout ; that 



