TRUTH SOMETIMES HARD TO COME AT. 123 



his boys do not ; his head man does not ; the jockeys 

 or lads who tried them do not; and depend on it, 

 generally speaking, their owners do not. These all 

 know which horse was first in the trial, whether these 

 two were tried together by consent of the owners, or 

 were tried with other trial horses: but all they 

 know is the result of the trials, and this is knowing 

 next to nothing (if the trainer wishes to keep them 

 in the dark) : HE knows all about it, but nobody else 

 does. An owner sees his horse tried, is quite satisfied 

 he now knows all he wants to know for or against 

 him, and goes and makes his bets accordingly: he 

 might as well have stayed at home, perhaps better : 

 he might then have chanced to have got on the right 

 side, but now, if his trainer chooses it, there is no 

 chance in the case. " Seeing is believing," they say ; 

 so it is here ; but seeing is no sure test in trying 

 race-horses in all cases. Many owners know this 

 well enough ; many do not ; many know how this is 

 to be managed: a vast many more do not, nor is 

 it my business to enlighten them. Why should I ? 

 " All the world's a stage, and all the men and women 

 players." A vast number of the former humbug each 

 other ; many have me : but as trainers do not do this 

 more than other men, let them go on and prosper : 

 they at least never did me any harm ; why should I 



them ? We will therefore leave Mr. , the trainer, 



arranging weights, &c. for a trial, and take a little 

 more consideration about weight as applied to horses 

 in other ways. 



I have endeavoured to prove that good breeding 

 and speed are quite necessary qualifications in a hun- 

 ter that is intended to carry weight, and, correct or 

 incorrect, have given my reasons for feeling convinced 



