SECOND PREPARATION. 225 



out of work for a week, bran mashed for the first two 

 or three days, have some green meat given, and an 

 alterative ball administered. For three r four days after 

 this, his corn should be diminished by one-half, and only 

 walking exercise allowed. 



Through the first month of the second preparation, the 

 horse, if a Waler, may at first be sent a mile at about 

 half speed, say in 2m. 50s., the time and distance being 

 gradually improved until he does 1J miles in, say, 2m. 

 40s., which would be about conventional three-quarter 

 speed. The short spin once a week may now be gradu- 

 ally increased to f mile. During the last month of the 

 training, the spin may be discontinued and a long gallop 

 substituted, or an extra day's rest, in the middle of the 

 week, according as the horse is found to stand his work. 

 The speed of the regular 1 J mile gallops may be gradu- 

 ally increased, up to the beginning of the last fortnight, 

 to within 7 or 8 seconds of full speed, while no sweat 

 should be given later than this. During the last fort- 

 night, the trainer should be most careful not to over- 

 work his horse, though he ought to wait till then before 

 fully extending him. Two Sundays' rest, another day's 

 extra rest between the fast work, with perhaps a day's 

 hacking, two long slow gallops, six or seven fast ones, to 

 be run at nearly, if not quite, full speed, and gradually 

 working up to the distance that has to be run ; a slow 

 canter for f mile, on the day before the race ; and the 

 race day itself will be a judicious division of the last 

 fortnight. The fast gallops should not be given by 

 racing horses against each other, for a very little of that 

 kind of work will go a long way. 



p 



