198 ON TRAINING GROUNDS. 



but will exceed the former length ; and but few so 

 craving but that the latter will be found sufficient for 

 them, the pace being properly regulated. 



Horses which are long comers, are such as are con- 

 sidered to come well over the course, as the B. C. at 

 Newmarket (after much wet) ; but these horses are 

 seldom fast enough to go into any of the great stakes, 

 such as are run for at the present day, and at the 

 present lengths. Horses of the above description, 

 (most of them being of good constitution), are such as 

 are generally selected for country running. The main 

 object to be attended to in the training of such horses 

 is to begin with them early in the spring, for, unless 

 it has been very dry, most grounds, at this time of the 

 year, are in tolerable good order ; that is, the surface is 

 cool and moderately soft, so that, in working horses 

 while the ground is in this state, there is not so much 

 danger to be apprehended of their going amiss on their 

 legs or feet as some of them might do, if they were to 

 begin their work later in the season, at which time the 

 ground mayThave become hard ; and from the pace 

 strong horses would occasionally have to go over it, 

 great concussion would be produced in their feet, which 

 would be the cause of their becoming much heated. 

 Horses being previously prepared in the spring, have 

 their physic afterwards given them to take the little 

 staleness out of their constitutions which their work 

 may have occasioned, and also to cool and refresh their 

 legs as well as to assist in keeping them light. If this 

 preparation be sufficiently early and well attended to. 



