i68 Among Men and Horses. 



ance it attaches to these considerations, by keeping, as bank 

 holidays, the days upon which the races are held. 



The stand is the great early morning rendezvous for the 

 local sportsmen, all of whom are devotees of the ' time test/ 

 During the training season, on the two days a week on which 

 the course is thrown open for work, all the Shanghai racing 

 men crowd against the rails on the inside of the course, close 

 to the winning post, with centre second watches of most 

 elaborate construction, to take the time of the various ponies. 

 The course, I may mention, is as flat as a billiard table, and 

 each furlong on it is marked by an upright post. These 

 gentlemen think that they have their task of ' spotting 

 winners ' immensely simplified by the adoption of the maxim 

 that weight makes no difference to a China pony ; and that 

 all they have to do in order to ascertain the form of an 

 animal is to take his time, which an onlooker can do just as 

 accurately as the owner. My dislike to this eternal clock- 

 ing is that its arguments are so plausible that they fill the 

 mind of the hearer thereof, to the exclusion of the far more 

 valuable lessons to be learned from the study of the animal's 

 action and general style of going. Although there are nearly 

 1000 ponies in the Settlement, there is not a veterinary 

 surgeon in the place. Had there been a demand for profes- 

 sional advice, the want no doubt would have been supplied. 

 As a man can buy there a serviceable pony for about ;io, he 

 will, in the event of the animal going wrong, naturally prefer 

 to sell it for what it will fetch and buy another at an equally 

 moderate price, than to go to the delay and expense of hav- 

 ing it treated by a veterinary surgeon. Members of my 

 profession can expect good fees only in places where high 

 prices are paid for horses. 



The races, which are well filled and spiritedly contested,, 

 are the great social event of the year. It did us good to be 

 among people who were as enthusiastic about our favourite 

 subject, as are the Shanghai ladies and gentlemen. 



The horsebreaking class which I held close to the race- 



