202 RIDING. DRIJVNG AND KINDRED SPORTS 



fresher on Monday morning for their day's 

 abstinence from corn. 



Half-bred horses require even more care in 

 work and feeding- than the blood ones, and 

 should be brought to the post rather big. In 

 preparing a horse for a hunt race, if he has been 

 hunting all the season, he should have a fort- 

 night's quiet exercise and then about a month's 

 steady work before the race. Twice a week 

 he should gallop the distance he has to go at 

 half speed and once at least he should be 

 galloped over fences. Many good hunters get 

 into a deliberate w^ay of negotiating their jumps, 

 and, from want of practice, are apt to come 

 down if hustled a bit in a race. If you can teach 

 a horse to get away quickly on the other side 

 of a fence it is some points in his favour. The 

 best way is to put him between two horses that 

 have been at the game before and gallop him 

 over fences. They will, of course, gain on 

 him at every jump, but between the fences he 

 should be allowed to come up with them. He 

 w^ill soon learn to get away on the other side. 

 Another point for amateurs to bear in mind is 

 that the trainer should make up his mind at 

 what pace the day's work is to be done and do 

 it at that pace all the way through. Nothing- 

 upsets a horse, especially if he is a little hairy 

 about the heels, so much as quickening him up 



