348 DOCTORS AND TRAINERS. 



nacle of condition that horses are brought up to, 

 who are destined for the Derby, Leger, or other first 

 class stakes. Horses starting for such are trained 

 for that particular stake : they win or lose it ; in 

 either case, some little relaxation is afterwards given, 

 be it for ever so short a space of time, and then the 

 instrument is again screwed up. 



In former days, when doctors were called leeches 

 (an appropriate name enough in one sense now), the 

 nostrums they used were as numberless as extra- 

 ordinary ; they were not, however, more extraordinary 

 than some of the recipes in use then among trainers. 

 The contents of these were, of course, unknown ; and 

 this served in a great measure to keep up the profound 

 mystery of training. Whether these were more 

 efficacious than sweet hay and oats, with the 

 occasional adjuncts of bran, beans, and carrots, what 

 was then done and what is now done will sufficiently 

 show. 



Instructions have been published on most sciences 

 and professions, many by the ablest heads, and some 

 in so clear and definite a form as to enable those who 

 study them to become tolerable proficients in what- 

 ever matter those instructions treat on. Instructions 

 and most able ones have been published on 

 training ; but it is a business in which, however well 

 versed a man may be, it is impossible, from its 

 nature, he can convey to another the knowledge the 

 writer possesses, although in point of system it is 

 perfectly simple: this arises from the different 

 natures, tempers, constitutions, perfections, and im- 

 perfections of the different horses to be trained. No 

 trainer could (if disposed to do so) give any general 

 rule for treating a race-horse. If he were asked to 



