USING THE WHIP. 127 



shoulder, or on the flank. Striking a horse on the 

 former part is most apt to make him change his leg, 

 while punishing him about the sheath as duffers who 

 get up to ride races are particularly fond of doing is 

 barbarous in practice, and tends to throw the horse 

 out of his stride. 



In race riding, the whip, as a rule, should only be 

 used in the last few strides. During a race, it should be 

 held lash down, for if it be kept up, the horse will often 

 watch it, expecting a cut every moment, and thereby his 

 attention will be distracted from his work. When the 

 moment comes to use it, the whip should be quickly 

 " picked up," by turning it in the hand, lash uppermost, 

 the reins are firmly grasped in the other hand, the knees 

 grip the saddle as tight as possible, the sho ulders are kept 

 square, and the body steady, so that no sway from it may 

 jar on the motion of the horse, when the cuts, which 

 should rarely exceed two or three, are given. They 

 should be timed, so that the horse may be hit just as his 

 feet come to the ground. 



A novice should not use a whip, for none but a good 

 rider can sit still, hold his horse together with one hand, 

 and flog at the same time. Though spurs do not present 

 these difficulties, they are much less efficient than a 

 whip is in the hands of a " workman." 



Race Riding. As a rule, a jockey should not make the 

 running in a race, if he can get any other rider to do it for 

 him; in which case he should wait on him, instead 

 of racing against him, for horses, generally, go better, and 

 settle down in their gallop sooner, with a lead, than 

 without one. This is especially true with young ani- 



