SUNDAY LABUUR NOT NECESSARY. 87 



at a time. Fog, as I have hinted, I do not Hke, because, if 

 very thick, there is danger. I can relate a most remarkable 

 instance which happened during a trial at Newmarket on 

 a Good Friday, and which comes to me from the highest 

 authority. 



On a beautiful spring morning, after the "dolls and 

 chains " had been removed to allow the horses room to 

 pass through, in galloping " across the flat," just before 

 starting The Two Middle Miles, or immediately afterwards, 

 a most dense fog very quickly came down ; the jockeys went 

 out of the course and all fell over the chains and dolls that 

 were left standing, with such terrible effect that some of the 

 horses and jockeys were killed, and others so dreadfully 

 shaken that they never got over it, the surviving horses 

 being rendered useless. I daresay there are trainers and 

 others living who remember this occurrence and may have 

 known both the jockeys and the names of the horses. 



And this story brings one to the question of Sunday work. 

 As with sweating so with this practice, I have not taken a 

 horse to exercise on a Sunday this last quarter of a century. 

 Ovid says, "Alternate rest and labour, long endure;" and 

 my dislike to Sunday labour is not my only reason for abolish- 

 ing it ; I think to do so benefits my horses. Since 1850, up 

 to which time it was on the increase, sweating has gone out 

 of fashion, and so, too, I am happy to say of late years, has 

 Sunday labour. 



I may adduce here a few reasons for Sunday rest. First, 

 then, I believe it is essentially necessary that horses in strong 

 work should have absolute rest periodically allowed to them 

 to recruit their wasted strength. Why should the racehorse 

 be the only animal in captivity doomed to perpetual slavery, 

 knowing no rest .'' lie is worked till he becomes as stale as 



