174 TRAINING AND RACING. 



the trial horse, and does the distance in really good 

 time, it is all the more to his credit. No exact informa- 

 tion as to a horse's form can be obtained by timing his 

 gallops when he takes them alone : for not one horse in 

 ten will run the same by himself, as in company, and it 

 would only lead to disappointment to allow for an error 

 that, for all the owner knows, may be either for, or 

 against his horse's powers. 



I believe that, even with the greatest care and under 

 the most favourable circumstances, the time test alone 

 cannot be relied upon, with a smaller margin for error 

 than 10 Ibs. in 1 mile, which, allowing for difference in 

 horses, and for the different way races are run, we may 

 assume would be equivalent to from 20 to 30 yards in 

 that distance, or from 1J to 2 seconds, which doesn't say 

 very much for timing, beyond affording an approximate 

 idea of a horse's powers. 



On a heavy course a horse will take, to do a mile, 4 or 

 5 seconds longer than on a light one. 



Another thing to be considered is, that we must allow 

 at least half a second for the timer's own individual 

 error: while there is still more to be allowed for the 

 way horses get off whether from a flying start, or from a 

 walk. 



It does not at all follow that because a horse cannot 

 be got to do good time in private, he is, on that account, 

 a moderate animal; for many and particularly stayers 

 -require the stimulus of company to make them extend 

 themselves. 



When timing in private, the trainer should be most 

 careful to observe how his horses finish, for one who 



