TRAINERS AND TRAINING 



33 



auction, in which case his advice has usually 

 been asked, and he is of course particularly- 

 anxious that these should turn out well, as 

 their failures may reflect on him. Others may 

 have been bred by the owner, and if he be 

 one of the owners just discussed, the trainer 

 looks with dismay upon some shapeless three- 

 cornered little brute from whom he knows the 

 owner will expect great things because it is 

 out of some favourite mare — who has been sent, 

 very likely, to one of the most unsuitable horses 

 that could have been chosen for her ; but, 

 having bred it according to his own theory (if 

 it be a theory at all : very likely the existence 

 of the animal is merely due to chance, the owner 

 having the mare, and some friend whom he 

 liked to oblige having the horse), your em- 

 ployer thinks it must do great things, and you 

 dare not frankly tell him that if you ever get 

 it through a little selling race he will have been 

 far more fortunate than could reasonably be 

 expected. 



One of the great requisites of a trainer is a really 

 good head lad, who is a most important person in 

 an establishment, for a variety of reasons. He can 

 alleviate heaps of small worries. I am inclined to 

 say that a thoughtful, conscientious, competent 



D 



