50 CONDITION. 



Again, the Coranna Colt, just before his intended trial, being, 

 as I thought, fit to run and if anything rather too hght, broke 

 his thigh, and was at once destroyed. To my astonishment 

 when he was opened, he was found to be a mass of fat ; clear 

 evidence that he was not more than half prepared. Yet, as I 

 have said, his outward appearance betokened that he was 

 thoroughly trained, and if anything, rather overdone. The 

 natural and immediate inference to my mind was that when 

 beaten in their respective trials, St. Giles and One Act may 

 have been in the same condition ; and I concluded that had 

 the Cot'anna Colt been tried he would as assuredly have been 

 defeated. These results plainly indicate how absolutely neces- 

 sary time and work are in preparing a horse to run a long 

 distance. The practical part of training, the knowledge gained 

 by experience, enables the trainer to give an opinion on the 

 condition of the horses under his charge before any one else ; 

 yet, from the many anomalies attending the process, some of 

 which have been explained, even he may be deceived. One 

 horse may look fit, when in reality he is big and short of work ; 

 another that is absolutely fit, looks just the reverse, or as 

 some would style it, overtrained. 



These difficulties staring him in the face, it behoves the 

 trainer to be ever on the alert ; to watch the condition of each 

 horse from the first canter to the last gallop ; and how exact 

 and continuous this watchfulness must be will be explained 

 when we come to treat of Preparation. 



