RACE AND SHOWYARD RIDING 261 



It is impossible to impress upon what does duty 

 for the intelUgence of these men, that by so 

 doing they throw their horses out of outhne. 

 The shoulders are low, and they look slack-backed. 

 To set a horse up properly one fore foot should 

 be slightly advanced and the two hind feet very 

 near together, the foot on the side which is being 

 looked over being a trifle — but a very trifle — be- 

 hind the other. When the judges go to the other 

 side of the horse, a slight movement of the hand 

 will make the horse step a trifle back on the hind 

 foot and forward on the fore foot of the other 

 side, and he will present the same appearance to 

 the judges that he did when they first looked at 

 him. In horse-dealers' language, " Always pre- 

 sent the long side to your customer." But care 

 must be taken to have the horse so well trained 

 that the signal which is given to him to change 

 his position is almost imperceptible. It takes 

 some little time to train a horse to stand per- 

 fectly in this way but it is well worth all the 

 trouble. 



It is not a good plan, yet it is one which is 

 often adopted in the show ring, to look at what 

 the other horses are doing. There is plenty for 

 a man to do to look after his own horse. Many 

 a time I have seen a prize thrown away by the 

 over-anxiety of the man who was showing a horse 

 in seeing what his rivals were doing The judges 

 may look round at any moment and see a horse 

 standing all abroad, and consequently never 

 take any further notice of him ; and even if there 



