^ CHAPTER X. 



/ 



ON TRAINING GROUNDS. 



The ground requisite for the purpose of training 

 race-horses, should, of course, be large open downs. 

 They can scarcely be too extensive ; for, as I shall by 

 and bye shew, there are horses of a certain description 

 which will require a great variety of ground to exercise 

 upon. Indeed, the greater the extent of ground for all 

 horses to work upon in training, the better, as it 

 becomes necessary when a certain portion of ground 

 has been repeatedly galloped over by the horses, to 

 change them to other parts, with a view to keep the 

 surface of the turf level and free from holes and small 

 sudden rises, more particularly so on a red clayey soil; 

 otherwise in wet weather, the horse would get too 

 much foot-hold on such ground. This induces many 

 of them to go high, and clamber in their work, which 

 is a loss of time to them. When it can be con- 

 veniently done, it is a good plan (at proper time) to 

 roll ground that has been much worked, so as to make 



