TIMING GALLOPS, 229 



capable of being taught, but among natives it is not the 

 custom, and, as it is most difficult to get lads, one is fre- 

 quently forced to send horses alone, or at most in pairs. 

 I am aware of the difficulty of finding a boy who has 

 even a little idea of pace, and in default of having such 

 an one, I strongly recommend the amateur trainer to 

 time every gallop, as well as each quarter of a mile of 

 it, so that he may be able to correct the lad as occasion 

 may require. To do this, one will require a good stop 

 watch. I prefer a chronograph in which a needle point 

 passes vertically down the extremity of the second hand 

 through a small reservoir of ink there, and marks on the 

 dial the different distances noted, without the holder of 

 the watch having to stop it. 



Young horses should generally have a horse to lead 

 them in their gallops, and should occasionally be allow- 

 ed to draw level and pass the other on nearing the win- 

 ning post. In doing this, the pace of the leader should 

 be checked; so as to allow the change of position to be 

 made without an effort on the part of the youngster, 

 who, in this way, will gradually learn his business, and, 

 towards the end of his training, will be accustomed 

 either to wait or to lead. * 



When horses are to be trained for short distance races, 

 as for J or | mile, they may be run much bigger than 

 were they intended for longer ones, while the trainer 

 should avoid ever sending them long gallops, except at 

 a canter now and then, which will be less detrimental to 

 their pace than gallops at, say, three-quarter speed for a 

 mile, or a mile and a quarter. They should have lots of 

 walking and hacking. Three gallops a week over the 



