GENERAL REMARKS. 421 



most of them have not." He explains that at one time he was 

 " the worst rider in the world," but he won the first battle with 

 himself when he conquered fear. He mentions this as a con- 

 solation to lads who are apt to get disheartened at failure and 

 says that in about 1894 he rode so badly that "when there 

 was any playful talk about pulling a horse they used to say, 

 ' never mind getting a boy to pull, give Tod Sloan the mount 

 and tell him to ride his best ; he'll land your horse farther 

 back than any other jockey can pull him.' " It was then that 

 he began to think and act more on his own initiative. He 

 studied every race-course over which he rode, walked over 

 the track, learned the " grade and dirt formation, where the 

 dips and the rises were and where the going was best." 

 Armed with this knowledge he was able to tell when to ease 

 and when to urge his mount along. He points out that there 

 is some peculiarity about every track and it is the jockey's 

 business to know it. He attributes his well known quickness 

 at the starting post to the fact that he always kept his eyes 

 on the starter, instead of watching other lads, and that was 

 such a great advantage that he soon found the lads were 

 waiting on him, and he therefore managed to get ahead of 

 them. He never remembered his riding orders and says not 

 one jockey in a hundred does from the time the horses are 

 led out of the paddock. He kept his head clear, riding 

 according to the peculiarities of the course, and he took no 

 " nip " of any drink before or during the running of the races 

 in which he rode. He rightly remarks that a jockey requires 

 a clear head when riding a race and considers it would 

 be better if many who imbibe freely from their flasks to keep 

 their pluck up, would conquer fear as he did and. leave drink 

 alone. Sloan's remarkable success as a jockey was due to 

 his fine judgment, clear decisive head, the American 

 characteristic of rapid decision, and good hands. 



