82 PREPARATION. 



of rest. Thus if you exercise at 5 A.M. the horses rest from 

 8 until 4 P.M. and from 5 P.M. until 4 A.M., the latter a space 

 of eleven hours. Whereas if your horses exercise at 8 A.M., 

 they are brought in at ii A.M. and rest until 5 A.M. the next 

 morning, a spell of eighteen hours, being an additional rest of 

 seven hours, or more than the fourth part of a day — a division 

 between rest and labour in my opinion excessive. Moreover 

 by the former practice the stables are opened to receive the 

 fresh and pure air twice a day instead of once ; whilst your 

 horses are enjoying themselves inhaling the same on the 

 breezy downs, an additional incentive to the better enjoy- 

 ment of their evening repast, when "good digestion waits on 

 appetite, and health on both." 



To this point my observations have had special reference 

 to two-year-olds. The older horses will now claim our 

 attention. 



Their work is of necessity similar in most respects, but 

 there are a few variations which should not be lost sight of 

 In the first place, it will be well to remind the reader that 

 after a long winter old horses get very fat, as indeed do most 

 others, even fatter than appearance would denote ; and in 

 this state great care is requisite in commencing their spring 

 preparation. The ground then is heavy, and in anything but 

 a fit state for galloping ; yet the horses are fresh, and the 

 boys falling off in all directions. From a long-continued 

 frost the time is getting on for active work ; and with such 

 incitement the trainers are often tempted to work the horses 

 in an unfit state, commencing too suddenly and imposing 

 tasks too hard, resulting in injury. This temptation is un- 

 doubtedly the primary cause of many a breakdown; but 

 whether from accumulation of fatty matter inside, or 

 the want of faster exercise than can be given in the 



