CHAPTER XVII 



TRAINING 



In conversation with Mr Porter, he said, ' In our endeavours 

 to breed good early foals, we are fighting a battle with 

 Nature and getting the worst of it. A foal should not 

 be born before May, and I never knew a May foal that 

 was a "roarer." If we had later foals, less two-year-old 

 racing, and longer races, we should have better horses, 

 better trainers, better jockeys ! The encouragement of 

 short distance races has a tendency to affect the wind 

 of horses, and that, with too early foaling, is the chief 

 cause of roaring.' 



Do you think very young horses should go to the 

 stud? I asked. 



' Never before they are four or five years old ; but if 

 we have anything that shows speed, it is immediately 

 bred from. The French look to soundness first, and the 

 climate in France being better, their foals are earlier. 

 The nature of the soil has also much to do with breed- 

 ing. Old pasture of sound quality is by far the best, 

 and soft, spongy land should be avoided.' 



But must not one have very much land, to rear even 

 a small stud of horses? 



'That depends somewhat — for it is certain that more 

 183 



