274 TRAINERS AND JOCKEYS 



well-regulated establishment. Then to those who have 

 farms and sporting proclivities must be added the sup- 

 plementary care of cart-horses, cattle, and kennels of 

 greyhounds, spaniels, and sporting dogs innumerable. 

 In sum, he must perform the feat of the personal super- 

 vision of some two hundred and seventy horses, besides 

 sheep, oxen, swine, cows, and calves of treble that 

 number, with dogs, cats, rabbits, cocks, hens, and 

 chickens thrown in. So great, indeed, is the mental 

 strain that rest is imperative, though it would seem 

 impossible had I omitted to mention that so admirably 

 are these modern establishments regulated, and so 

 completely are those employed kept under control, they 

 can be carried on with perfect harmony under delegated 

 authority, in the frequent absence for weeks together of 

 the trainer himself. Indeed, so thoroughly do owners 

 understand how great is the strain upon them, that they 

 almost insist that this should be so. 



He has always the comfort of knowing that in his 

 absence he is sure of the aid of the veterinary surgeon, 

 who in old days was known as ' the cow-leech,' when the 

 panacea for everything was blood-letting or cathartics 

 remedies which as often killed as cured, and in combina- 

 tion did to death the stoutest horse. But under modern 

 improvements and new sanitary arrangements, we know 

 that disease has, or has almost, disappeared. Strangles 

 and influenza, if they do appear, appear in a mild form, 

 and at once succumb to veterinary treatment. More- 

 over, we know how suddenly illness overtakes horses. 



'He's mad,' says the fool in 'King Lear,' 'that 

 trusts to a horse's health, as well as a boy's love, or a 

 courtezan's oath.' 



In disease, the next best thing to doing anything well 

 is to do it quickly. Here the advantage of the modern 



