SETTING HORSES. 235 



in its assimilation, for a considerable time, as corn 

 would do : for these reasons cne need not stint a horse 

 so sharply in the matter of water, as in that of food. 



If the races be held in the evening as they almost al- 

 ways are up-country the setting need not be so strict, and 

 an allowance of, say, 61bs of dried grass may be given the 

 day before. The trainer will now be guided by the style 

 of horse, whether to put on the muzzle the night before 

 the race, or to wait till the next morning ; in most cases 

 I think it better to adopt the latter method, for if the 

 muzzle be applied over-night, there is a great probability 

 of the horse getting fidgetted by it, and thereby being 

 prevented from having a good night's rest. Anyhow, 

 on the morning of the race, he is given his usual one- 

 pound feed and is taken out for an hour and a half's 

 walk, or he may get a very slow canter for three-quarters 

 of a mile, and be sent the next quarter at nearly full 

 speed just to open his pipes and to give him the idea 

 that his day's work is finished. After that he may get 

 about half his allowance of water, and nearly his full feed 

 of corn with a small handful of dried grass. The muz- 

 zle is now put on, and at noon he may get a couple of 

 pounds of corn. If the race comes off about 4 o'clock, he 

 should get nothing more ; but if at a later hour, a double 

 handful of corn may be given three hours, or three hours 

 and a half, before the saddling bell rings. 



If a muzzle does not irritate a horse, it is better to use 

 one than to take up the bedding, without which horses 

 will not lie down during the day, while many will abstain 

 from staling much longer than they ought to do. On the 

 day of the race, the grooming should be got over quickly, 



