JOCKEYS AND JOCKEYSHIP 121 



can't simply by strength stop a horse that wants to 

 go. He is a great deal stronger than you are. 

 The whip ? Absolutely necessary in many cases, 

 only mischievous in others, and a good lot of 

 others, too. If you hit a horse in the middle of 

 his stride, when he is tiring and going loosely and 

 uncollectedly, you stop him at once — he curls up. 

 You must have your horse balanced and collected 

 before you ask him to make his final effort, or you 

 certainly won't get there. 



About nursing a horse, the business is rather 

 difficult to explain, for so much depends upon the 

 circumstances of the case. Put roughly, and 

 taking the thing generally, I should say that when 

 the barrier goes up you allow the majority of the 

 field to go gradually three or four lengths away 

 from you — you do not pull your horse back, but 

 let the others stride out. The great art of nursing 

 is sitting absolutely still, and letting the others 

 come back to you — not going after them. If it is 

 a really good run race, you will find that by 

 degrees they will drop out one after another, till at 

 length you have perhaps only a solitary leader 

 left. By a little manoeuvring you can place your 

 horse at this one's heels, then quietly pull to one 

 side or the other, and make your effort about fifty 

 yards from the winning-post. 



