FINISHING. 105 



and may be the result of the weight being, more or 

 less, taken off the horse's back at each instant, as his 

 hind feet make their stroke. Colonel Greenwood, in 

 his excellent book, ' Hints on Horsemanship,' considers 

 that such mechanical assistance can be given. We 

 know that the rider may aid the horse by adjusting 

 his weight, during each stride, so that it may impede 

 the animal's movements as little as possible (see p. 186), 

 but whether he can give him any further assistance, or 

 not, is a question which I am unable to decide. 



A man requires a great deal of practice to finish well, 

 while, if he does it badly, he is certain to impede the 

 horse's movements by rolling about in the saddle ; 

 hence, if he be not expert in the art, he should not 

 attempt to practise it, but should endeavour to sit as 

 still as possible, catch a good hold of his horse's head, 

 and should assume the position which he finds to be 

 the easiest one for the horse and for himself. As the 

 action of finishing is very fatiguing to the jockey, he 

 does not, as a rule, " sit down " before he comes to the 

 distance post. 



On Finishing. — At a finish it is generally best to be 

 on the side furthest away from the judge. When two 

 horses are coming up the straight, on perfectly even 



