130 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA. 



keep in front without forcing the running on his own 

 account, and should simply conform to the pace of those 

 immediately behind him, whether it be fast or slow, till 

 the moment arrives for him to make his effort. A horse, 

 however, should never be kept back to an extent which 

 will cause him to fight in his gallop : far better let him 

 go at a speed just beyond that at which lie would 

 expend his strength in the air. 



When a jockey, who has waiting orders, finds that all 

 the others have similar instructions, he should avoid " get- 

 ting the slip " from one of the others ; which is done by 

 a jockey, seeing his opportunity while they are all going 

 slow, catches his horse by the head, and sends him, some- 

 times, five or six lengths in advance, before the others know 

 where they are. If this happens, half a mile or nearer 

 from home, these lost lengths will be very hard to pick 

 up again. When there are several horses in a race, the 

 chance of slipping one's field will very rarely occur, foF 

 some one will be almost certain to cut out the running, 



If the orders be to wait, they should not be carried 

 out, as is done, by losing the start, or by pulling the 

 horse out of his stride in order to get him behind at all 

 hazards, for whatever distance is lost at the start, or 

 during the race, will, generally, have to be made up 

 when the other horses are going fast. But the rider 

 should always get away as well as possible, and should 

 settle down, as soon as he can, into a steady uniform 

 pace, a trifle slower than that of those that are making 

 the running, and should then wait till they "come 

 back to him," or until he arrives at the spot from 

 which he sees it most judicious to make his effort, 



