THE RIDING OF TRIALS 269 



But Brown, notwithstanding his eloquence in the same 

 direction, was not successful, for he was put back for 

 three months for contempt of court. At first this to 

 Jones was unaccountable, though it was afterwards 

 explained on his saying : 



4 Do you think they heard you?' 



' Yes,' was the answer. 



1 Ah,' was the prompt rejoinder, ' that made all the 

 difference, for they never heard me.' 



Or owners may think with Juliet, in her reply to 

 County Paris, for an assurance of her love : 



' It will be of more price 

 Being spoken behind your back than to your face.' 



In no particular is the marked improvement of modern 

 training shown more than in the riding of trials and the 

 galloping of the horses. In the dark ages past, the 

 trainer relied upon himself. With the march of science, 

 he would be a fool indeed who would rashly attempt to 

 do without the valuable assistance of the jockey in a 

 matter so essential to the due preparation of his horses ! 

 It often happens, indeed, under the new system, that in 

 their gallops the horses go a farther or a less distance 

 than the trainer has intended they should go, and in 

 direct opposition to his instructions, or go the distance 

 too fast or too slow. This might seem vexatious, but on 

 the return of the jockey the matter is quickly set right 

 by his saying, in the former case, that ' I found he (the 

 horse) was blowing too much, and was short of work, 

 and I took him a little farther and increased his speed ;' 

 and in the other, ' I find she (the filly) is very delicate, 

 and I was afraid of overdoing her, so let her go three- 

 parts of the distance at half the speed you requested, 

 and suggest a day's walking exercise now and then 



