DANGER OF EXCESSIVE WORK WHEN UNFIT. 83 



circumscribed limits of a straw bed, I know not : probably 

 both have their influence. The result, however, is a fact 

 there is no denying ; for unfortunately there have been 

 too many proofs, one of which should be sufficient to rout 

 a thousand speculative theories to the contrary. 



On the first day on which the horses leave the straw bed 

 for the downs, they should have an hour's exercise in the 

 former before leaving for their canter. This quiets the horses, 

 and helps to keep the boys on their backs ; for if taken from 

 the stable direct to the exercise downs, many would get 

 loose, and probably hurt themselves by galloping too far, 

 or by some accident. Sometimes after a week's gentle work 

 the legs will fill. In this case they should have a dose 

 of physic, and indeed any that are very big should have 

 some before doing more work. 



When trained for short courses, the amount of work is 

 very much the same as that recommended for two-year-olds j 

 but for longer courses more time and longer gallops would 

 be required to complete the preparation. After the usual 

 amount of walking and trotting exercise, as previously 

 described, they must first gallop a mile, gradually increasing 

 the distance to the required length, whether it be two, three, 

 or four miles. It would be the excess of folly to say how 

 often they should do this, or how fast, as this would entirely 

 depend on the individual horse's condition at the commence- 

 ment of training, and his constitution. Nor should the state 

 of the ground be totally ignored. All these things can only 

 be ascertained by experience and personal inspection, and 

 unremitting observation of the progress made from day to 

 day. On broad principles only we can say the animal should 

 be made to go steadily a short course for a week or two, till 

 his condition enables him with ease to go faster ; then the 



G 2 



