346 CHARLATANISM. 



in the hunter, of course he could not bring out a horse 

 fit to run for a saddle. Until within these fifty years, 

 hunting-men knew nothing of what perfect condition 

 in hunters meant ; they, therefore, had no idea at all 

 of the (then) mysteries of training the race-horse ; he 

 was, consequently, necessarily consigned to the total 

 and absolute control of the trainer : he produced the 

 horse on a given day jit to go, or at all events appear- 

 ing so. Doubtless, he very frequently was not so ; 

 but who was to tell the trainer this ? Not the owner, 

 for probably he was no judge of whether the horse 

 was fit or not : he only wondered by what "spells" or 

 "sweet charms" the animal had been brought to the 

 blooming state he appeared. 



The trainer and his employer were about in the 

 situation of the conjuror and his audience the con- 

 juror shows the hat with half a dozen rabbits in it, 

 keeps the trick to himself, leaving the audience to 

 wonder how the devil they got there. 



But this charlatanism (and perfect charlatanism 

 training formerly was) on the part of trainers is now 

 nearly done away with ; most men know the outline 

 of all that is, can, or ought to be done with a horse 

 in training ; consequently, all the credit a trainer can 

 now get for bringing his horse ivell to the post, is for 

 the attention, and above all, the good judgment he has 

 exercised in doing it. And well does he deserve, in 

 such a case, all the commendation that can be bes- 

 towed on him ; for though it is quite right to disabuse 

 persons of the impression that there is any mystery 

 in training, still it would be both wrong and absurd 

 to attempt to lessen the merit of the man who brings 

 his horse out as well as he can be. This is the great 

 nicety, a horse may be well trained ; and almost any 



