RACE RIDING 155 



the jockey on the leader turned round to grin derisively at his 

 followers ; his horse swerved, he could not get it straight, grew 

 flurried, and was beaten by a mare that, had the race been 

 decently ridden, would have been the best part of a dozen 

 lengths behind. In the other instance the race was lost, as 

 scores of races are lost every year, because the jockey thought 

 that he was winning easily, and indeed that he had won, the 

 consequence being that he stopped riding, and was caught and 

 beaten. It is very pretty no doubt to see a great jockey win by a 

 short head, so that it is impossible to tell what he has in hand, 

 and to win by a great many unnecessary lengths is a useless 

 exertion ; the very best riders are nevertheless occasionally 

 beaten, on horses that ought to have won with the utmost ease, 

 because they ' draw it too fine.' It is a dangerous experiment, 

 for a stumble in the last few strides, a swerve, or some trifling 

 mishap, may lead to defeat. 



The desirability of tenderness and consideration in riding 

 young horses is another point which must be specially em- 

 phasised. It is sad to think how many two-year-olds have 

 been spoilt for racing purposes by the cruel and at the same 

 time futile use of whip and spur. One point upon which all 

 competent critics of the turf agree, is that Tom Cannon is in- 

 comparable as a rider of two-year-olds, and his strength lies in 

 the fact that he is before all else tender and encouraging. ' I 

 should as soon think of hitting a child,' is his remark, meaning 

 of course when the young animal is free from vice or mischief 

 which might need punishment or warning. It is very rarely that 

 Cannon even takes up and flourishes his whip, and it is wonderful 

 how kindly young horses respond when he calls on them for an 

 effort. A two-year-old has a good deal to learn before he can 

 show to advantage in a race. Unless due attention is paid to 

 his education he is almost certain to ' run green ' when he first 

 appears in public, and to hit him when he needs encourage- 

 ment and fails from lack of confidence is of course to give him 

 an irrepressible antipathy to racing. Roguish horses, animals 

 that will not try, are remarkably common, and as a very general 



