STARTERS AND STARTING 



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appearance. Having once taken a dislike to the 

 gate their hatred of it increases, and no wonder, 

 seeing that they must associate it with a demand 

 on them for severe exertion and almost inevitable 

 punishment. Different trainers have no doubt 

 different theories as to getting their horses used to 

 the gate, and naturally some are more successful 

 than others. Much, again, depends on the jockey. 

 A horse ridden one day by a certain jockey will be 

 quite tractable and docile ; another day the same 

 horse with a different jockey will be all over the 

 place. Because there is a machine at the starting- 

 post, some people seem to think that horses will 

 become machines also, but they will not. Another 

 thing against it is that while all horses undoubtedly 

 "strike off" better when they are moving, some 

 animals are quite unable to *' get going " from a 

 stand — a fact, indeed, which appears to have been 

 at one time well recognised, for prior to the intro- 

 duction of the machine the Rule of Racing ran 

 that " the horses must be started from a walk." 

 There is no doubt danger from horses that kick, 

 and that some of the jockeys are fully aware of this 

 their demeanour at the post leaves no sort of doubt : 

 they have less freedom than in the days of the flag, 

 when, of course, they could get out of the way of 

 a dangerous neighbour more easily ; nevertheless, 



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