574 The Book of the Horse. 



" The horse should be galloped once or twice a week, according to circumstances. He 

 should be lightly fed on the morning of the gallop, walked about for an hour, i/ien stripped 

 of his clothes, and sent along the whole distance he will have to run in the real race at nearly 

 his top speed, but never allowed to exhaust himself; made to do his utmost, yet keeping 

 just inside the mark. As soon as he is stopped slacken the girths, and lead him about until 

 he has done blowing (which will be about ten minutes), then put on his clothes, wash out 

 his mouth, and walk him straight back to his stable. On removing the rugs on getting there 

 the horse will be found to have sweated quite as much as is necessary if his skin is clean 

 and his frame spare. He should be rubbed perfectly dry (an operation which will take from 

 twenty minutes to half an hour), dry clothes thrown over him, his feet and legs carefully 

 washed and rubbed dry, and flannel bandages put on (.'). This done, the rug must again 

 be removed, and the brush applied briskly, until every particle of dust, dirt, and scurf has 

 been brushed out. This will occupy an hoyr, after which sponging the eyes and nose and 

 brushing the mane and tail will complete the toilet. He may then be fed, and left alone 

 for four or five hours, after which he must be taken for an hour's slow walking on soft 

 ground. If all is well, walking exercise for three days, and then another brushing gallop. 

 But no horse should be galloped a second time until the soreness and stiffness consequent 

 on the previous spin has subsided. ' Galloping a stiff sore horse will infallibly produce groggi- 

 ness.' Some horses will remain stiff and sore for several days after their first gallop. There 

 is . nothing for it but patience ; ti7ne must be allowed for the vessels to relieve themselves and 

 contract on their contents. 



" Many horses are ruined by being galloped when they are only fit to walk. A horse 

 in training should never be galloped until distressed. ' He should be pulled while still full 

 of go.' On this point, William Day's ' Racehorse in Training ' may be consulted with advantage. 

 William Day is against much physic and much galloping. 



" Supposing the horse has gone through the course of practice already described in extract 

 from Dick Christian's lecture, to accustom him to gallop safely over rough and undulating 

 ground, in order to prepare him for steeplechasing, he may be taught to leap in the following 

 manner : — 



"When returning home 'after trotting about a water meadow with a loose rein,' have the 

 trunk of a tree drawn across the gateway by which he has entered the field, and let him 

 scramble over it. The following days make him jump it into the meadows. If he does this 

 well, add a hurdle strapped with gorse or thorns to the tree, which will make him rear and 

 spread himself, and prevent his running through the gorse. After a fortnight a mile of 

 country with fair fences may be marked out. Let him be mounted by a resolute horseman, 

 and let another horseman, mounted on an old clever horse, lead him at a strong pace for 

 one round. Take a second round alone, and a third side by side with the old horse, not 

 racing but keeping close together. After this four days' walking exercise. After four weeks' 

 going over eight or nine gorsed hurdles on alternate days, if he remains sound and shows the 

 needful courage, he may be entered for any amateur steeplechase. 



" A steeplechase horse who knows his business need not be ridden over gorsed hurdles 

 more than once a fortnight. 



" Long gallops are essential in training for a steeplechase. The concussions from jumping 

 at full speed are so severe that a horse will soon break down unless his joints, muscles, and 

 organs of respiration are properly prepared. 



The following rules apply equally to flat and cross-country races : — 



