ON THE RACE COURSE. 209 



stand is for the jockeys to ride their horses through 

 to get to the scales to weigh ; and that near the stand, 

 for the horses to pass through in going to the rubbing- 

 house. 



By closing the gates here, after the horses are rode 

 into the yard, the people on foot would be prevented 

 from passing in and crowding round the horses, which 

 they are apt to do while the riders are weighing. It 

 may be advisable at such meetings as commence early 

 in the spring, or late in the autumn, to cover this yard 

 with a mixture of gravel and sand, which would make 

 it more firm and dry to walk on, in case of much wet. 

 The ground thus fenced in, I shall call the weighing- 

 yard, into which none should be admitted but people 

 of business, such as the stewards of the races, noble- 

 men and gentlemen who own the horses, the trainers, 

 the jockeys, and the boys who look after them. 



The weighing house and yard being situated and 

 arranged in this way, mistakes cannot possibly happen, 

 if the jockey does but keep on his horse's back after 

 having pulled him up at the conclusion of the heat or 

 race, until he gets to scale, as in going off the course 

 to weigh he must come to and pass by the ending or 

 winning post. Indeed it would be unpardonable in a 

 regular jockey to dismount until he has rode his horse 

 past this post in going to the scales. A jockey who 

 is in high practice of riding, is too good a judge to 

 allow such a thing to happen to him, let the scales be 

 placed in whatever situation they may. If he were so 

 unfortunate, through absence of mind, as to commit an 



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