43 6 RACE RIDING. 



EFFECT OF PUNISHMENT ON HORSES. 



Without wishing to be " hard " on a very meritorious class 

 of men, I must say that a large number of horses are annually 

 ruined for life by needless punishment. Jockeys are apt to 

 attach too much weight to the opinion of the public, and, 

 consequently, often " ride a horse out," rather than ease him, 

 when pursuit is hopeless. 



Although the view backers take of " cutting a horse to 

 pieces " is very different to the one held by a humane owner ; 

 still it is a difficult point to decide whether a jockey is always 

 justified in punishing a horse to the utmost of his power, if he 

 thinks that by so doing he has any chance of winning. If he 

 knows that he has no chance, and persists in using whip and 

 spurs, he ought never to get another mount. Regarding the 

 matter as an old racing man, I hold that a jockey should 

 not " knock about " a young promising horse or valuable old 

 one, for an unimportant event, on the off chance of winning ; 

 and that he should be most particular not to " squeeze " one 

 which has any suspicion of jadiness. Though it is too much 

 to expect that a jockey should take a sentimental view of 

 punishment ; he ought to regard the interests of his em- 

 ployer, within honourable limits, and should be averse from 

 ruining the noble animal by whose exertions he earns his 

 bread. The most forcible argument I can use against 

 punishment is that, in the large majority of cases, it defeats 

 its own object. 



