TRAINERS AND TRAINING 31 



I should not do so, because my own experi- 

 ences have on the whole been very fortunate. I 

 am thinking rather about my brethren ; for there 

 are some owners whom it is absolutely impos- 

 sible to please. A trainer has a horse which 

 perhaps runs a good second for an important 

 race, the fact going a long way to prove, at any 

 rate, that the animal is fit and well ; perhaps it 

 is a short race and the horse did not get a fair 

 start ; but it did not win, and the owner of 

 the class I am thinking of is convinced that 

 the failure must be due to the trainer. Per- 

 haps it wins, but even then this sort of owner 

 is not contented. You did not express sufficient 

 confidence ; you ought to have told him that 

 it could not be beaten ; he only had ^^50 on, 

 and if you had really given him the encourage- 

 ment you should have done, he would have 

 had a monkey. Perhaps, again, you are really 

 confident next time, and, though it may not be 

 very discreet of you, do not hesitate to express 

 your confidence and tell him that you think 

 he may bet without fear. He does so, and the 

 horse wins. Is he satisfied this time ? Not at 

 all ! He can't make out why he only got 5 

 to 4. He had expected 5 to i, indeed he and 

 his friends — the same friends — had fancied before 



