SCHOOLING. 305 



If it be found that as a two-year-old he has a turn of speed 

 which renders his chance of winning big races on the flat very 

 promising, by all means use him for that purpose, as there are 

 richer prizes to be won on the flat than over a country ; but if 

 he be a poor horse over five furlongs, he may nevertheless 

 prove himself a Regal or a Scot. Whilst he retains full posses- 

 sion of his powers, the more he jumps, when handled by a 

 horseman, the better he will jump, due moderation being, of 

 course, understood as regards the length of his lessons and 

 exercise. He has so much to learn in order to become 

 thoroughly clever and safe, that if he begin as a two-year-old 

 he will hardly be a perfect chaser till the autumn of his four- 

 year-old career, even though, as some precocious youngsters 

 have done, he has got over a steeple-chase course safely before 

 he is three. 1 



It is most desirable that horses should have variety in their 

 home fences. The ideal training-ground should have at least 

 two distinct courses of varying conformation, so that the 

 animal may not be monotonously sent over a familiar country, 

 the jumping of which becomes a sort of trick. If this diversity 

 be impossible, the trainer must do his best to introduce change, 

 and it is something that most courses can be jumped either 

 way round. 



Another important detail is that every horse trained for 

 Aintree, or for any other course where a natural country has 

 to be crossed, ought to do occasional work on ploughed land 

 well harrowed down. At Aintree some ploughed fields have 

 usually to be galloped over, and horses that are quite unaccus- 

 tomed to such going flounder about and tire sadly in them. 



A special study must be made of bitting the jumper. Some 

 horses which will not go kindly when they have in their mouths 

 a thin snaffle, practically little more than a piece of thick wire, 

 will gallop and jump freely enough when the right bit for them 

 has been found. Many horses will pull against a severe bit 



1 Too Good is said to have crossed a very difficult Irish course without a 

 mistake as a two-year-old. 



X 



