Book VII, MANAGEMENT OF RACE HORSES. 945 



horses are in general work, a little walking exercise in the morning in body cloths, if the condition be 

 very high, or the weather be very cold, is all that is necessary : but, on days when their common work 

 is not expected to occur, a full fed horse should be exercised twice a day, an hour at each time; or, if 

 only once a day, then an hour and a half or two hours' exercise should Imj given; two-thirds of which 

 ought to be passed in walking; the other should be passed in a moderate trot in the hackney, and 

 divided into galloping and trotting in the hunter. The racer has his regular gallops at stated periods; 

 but the exercise of each should always finish with a walk of sufficient length, to bring the horse in cool, 

 both in person and temper. 



Sect. XVI. Of the Management and Working of Horses. 



6045. The working of horses includes the racing, hunting, and journeying of saddle 

 horses ; and the treatment in harness of coach, waggon, cart, and farm horses- 



SuBSECT. I . Management and Working of Race Horses. 



6046. In the managing and working of race horses, three things are to be considered, 

 the preparation of the horse, the conduct of the rider, and the after treatment of the 

 horse. The preparation of a race horse for running a race is not the work of a few 

 days, if there be any great dependence on the success. A month at least is required to 

 harden his muscles in training, by proper food and exercise, and to refine his wind, by 

 clearing his body to that degree of perfection that Js attainable by art. It is first ne- 

 cessary to ascertain correctly the present state of the horse, as whether he be low or 

 high in flesh ; and in either case, a proper estimate should be formed of the time and 

 means required to bring him into true running condition. 



6047. If a race horse be low in flesh, it is necessary to judge of the cause of such state, and to act 

 accordingly, the necessary proceedings for which were detailed in treating of condition. (5756.) It is 

 to be remarked, that spices are less to be depended on for this purpose than generous food, as malt 

 mashes ; and if any thing of the kind be used, let it be the simple cordial ball. ( Vet. Pharm. 5899.) Feed 

 frequently, and by little at a time : while he is thus low, let his exercise be walking only, and by no means 

 spare his water, or he will become hide-bound : carefully watch him, that full feeding may not disagree 

 by making his heels swell, or his coat unthrifty; and if such appearances occur, mash him, and begin 

 his scourings, otherwise abstain from physicking until he is in better health. As he improves in condition, 

 increase his exercise, but not to such a degree as to make him sweat : his food must now be the best 

 oats and beans, with wheaten or barley bread ; the beans and oats are to be putintp a bag, and beaten 

 till the hulls are all off, and then winnowed clean ; and the bread, instead of being chipped in the common 

 way, is to have the crust clean off. 



6()48. If the horse be in good flesh onrf sp/ri/s when taken up for his month's preparation, cordials are 

 altogether unnecessary ; and the chief business will be to give him good food, and so much exercise as 

 will keep him in wind, without over-sweating, or tiring his spirits. When he takes larger exercise after, 

 wards, towards the end of the month, it will be proper to have some horses in the place to run against 

 him. This will put him upon his mettle, and the beating them will give him spirits. Tills, however, is 

 to be cautiously observed, that he has not a bloody heat given him for ten days or a fortnight before the 

 plate is to be run for; and that the last heat that is given him the day beibre the race, must be in his 

 clothes : this will make him run with greatly more vigor when stripped for the race, and feeliisg the cold 

 wind on every part. In the second week, the horse should have the same food and more exercise: and 

 in the last fortnight he must have dried oats, that have been hulled by beating; after this jockies wet 

 them with the whites of eggs, beaten up, and then laid out in the sun to dry ; and when as dry as before, 

 the horse is to have them : this sort of food being considered by them as very light of digestion, and very 

 good for the creature's wind. The beans in this time should be given more sparingly, and the bread 

 should be made of three parts wheat and one part beans, or of wheat and barley in equal parts. If he 

 should become costive under this course, he must then have bran-water to drink, or some ale and whites 

 of eggs beaten together ; and keep his body moist. In the last week all mashing is to be omitted, and 

 barley-water given him in its place ; and every day, till the day before the race, he should have his fill of 

 hay ; then he must have it given him more sparingly, that he may have time to digest it ; and in the 

 morning of the race-day, he must have a toast or two of white bread soaked in ale, and the same just be- 

 fore he is led out of the field. This is an excellent method, because the two extremes of fulness and 

 fasting are at this time to be equally avoided ; the one heating his wind, and the other occasioning a 

 faintness that may make him lose. After he has had his food, the litter is to be shook up, and the stable 

 kept quiet, that he may be disturbed by nothing till he is taken out to run, 



6049. In the choice of a rider for winning a race, it is necessary, as far as possible, to 

 select one that is not only expert and able, but honest. He must have a very close 

 seat, his knees being turned close to the saddle skirts, and held firmly there ; and the 

 toes turned inwards, so that the spurs may be turned outward to the horse's belly ; his 

 left hand governing the horse's mouth, and his right the whip. During the whole time of 

 the race, he must take care to sit firm in the saddle, ,without waving or standing up in tlie 

 stirrups. Some jockies fancy the last a becoming seat, but it is certain, that all motions 

 of this kind do really incommode the horse. In spurring the horse, it is not to be done 

 by sticking the calves of the legs close to the horse's sides, as if it were intended to press 

 the wind out of his body ; but, on the contrary, the toes are to be turned a little outwards, 

 that the heels being brought in, the spurs may just be brought to touch the sides. A 

 sharp touch of this kind will be of more service toward the quickening of a horse's pace, 

 and will sooner draw blood than one of the common coarse kicks. The expert jockey 

 will never spur his horse until there is great occasion, and then he will avoid striking 

 him under the fore lx)wels between the shoulders and the girt ; this is the tenderest part 

 of a horse, and a touch there is to be reserved for the greatest extremity. 



6050. As to whipping the horse, it ought always to be done over the shoulder, on the near side, except 

 in very hard running, and on the point of victory; then the horse is to be struck on the flank with a 

 strong jerk ; for the skin is the most tender of all there, and most sensible of the lash. When a horse is 

 whipped and spurred, and is at the top of his ?.\>ecA ; if he clap his ears in his pole, or whisk his tail, it is 

 a proof that the jockey treats him hard, and then he (Might to give him as much comf(>rt as he can by 



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