THE HORSE 213 



and the jockey Sloan has opened the eyes of 

 English race-goers by putting it to the test. 

 His system of riding is to take all his weight 

 from the horse's hindquarters and throw it for- 

 ward. In a flat race over a smooth course this 

 must make it easier for the horse, and when 

 there are only a few pounds' weight between the 

 different horses competing, it is not surprising that 

 the jockey who alone follows this plan should 

 score many successes. Whether the horses ridden 

 in this manner suffer in their forelegs more than 

 those ridden in the ordinary way, is a question 

 that could best be answered by the trainers. 



It would require tremendous nerve to adopt 

 the Sloan system for steeplechasing, and of course 

 for hunting it would be out of the question. 



Sloan has proved to us that the even balance 

 which we think absolutely necessary in a hunter 

 is out of place in a racehorse. Herein lies the 

 danger of breeding from stallions whose sole 

 recommendation is a good record on the turf. 

 You see occasionally a well-balanced thorough- 

 bred, but the majority of those that win races 

 have a shortened forehand with extra length and 

 strength behind the saddle. 



