THE TURF 71 



Those who have only seen race-horses 

 on a race-course would be surprised to 

 witness what diminutive urchins ride many 

 of them in their training, and the perfect 

 command they obtain over them. In the 

 neighbourhood of large racing establish- 

 ments, the parents of poor children are 

 glad to embrace an opportunity of putting 

 them into the stables of a training-groom ; 

 knowing that they are certain to be well 

 fed and taken care of, with a fair chance 

 of rising in the world. But the question 

 that would suggest itself is, how are the 

 poor little fellows made equal to the task 

 of riding so highly spirited an animal as 

 the race-horse in a few weeks after they 

 are put to the task? The fact is, that Tom 

 or Jack is little more than a looker-on for 

 the first month or so. He makes the other 

 lads' beds, and performs sundry odd jobs ; 

 but then he has his eyes open (if he shows 

 no signs of opening them, he is rejected 

 in a twinkling), and he sees the other boys 

 in their saddles, and observes the con- 

 fidence with which they appear in them. 

 After a certain time he is placed upon his 

 master's hack, or a quiet pony, and becomes 



