TRAINING 185 



'No doubt, but a live jockey is far better at this stage 

 than any mechanical substitute, and no mistake must be 

 made at this point. The colt should have a good man 

 placed upon his back — one who is capable of handling 

 him with a firmness that can be felt.' 



Ah, yes ! how well they know ! 



' He will be conquered with this firmness, combined 

 with even and unfailing gentleness, and in another week 

 or so the size of the bit is lessened, and he is provided 

 with the ordinary exercise bridle. It is surprising how a 

 young horse comes to hand in this way.' 



Then you do not believe in the forcing process? 



'No, I do not, although with the forcing process one 

 may obtain immediate results, but they are not lasting. 

 There is no short cut in effecting the object desired by 

 the trainer of racehorses, for they differ so much in tem- 

 perament, constitution and soundness that, like human 

 beings, no two are alike, and must be handled differently. 

 Some horses come to running maturity earlier than others, 

 but all require a long and steady course of gentle exercise, 

 to get rid of the superfluous fat.' 



Of course, you must meet with disappointment some- 

 times, even in a promising horse ? 



'Very often, but when a horse is thoroughly "fit," and I 

 find him bad, I get rid of him at once. There is no end of 

 trouble in providing for a horse's journey when he travels 

 in a horse-box. As the risk is so great on railroads em- 

 ployed in carrying horses from abroad, many owners retain 

 their own private boxes. Even after your horse is fit to run, 

 you are lucky if he reaches his destination safely, and then 

 extra precautions must be taken to "unload" him from 

 his horse-box, and place him at last in his new home.' 



