ON TRAINING GROOMS AND EXERCISE BOYS. 229 



rode in their different races, according to the constitu- 

 tion and temper of each particular horse. Therefore, 

 to enable my readers to judge how well qualified a 

 man may be to take charge of a large racing establish- 

 ment, I shall here give the gradual rise and progress of 

 a man of this description, from the time of his entering 

 the stables, which, if he is to become a good training 

 groom, he should do at the age of twelve or fourteen at 

 latest. 



As the men who train horses are sometimes the 

 jockeys who ride them, the lighter such men are, the 

 less they will have to punish and sweat themselves ; 

 consequently they are stronger on horseback, which is 

 a matter of importance when they have to ride craving 

 horses, and have often to cut the work out with them, 

 or, in other words, to make the play. Sometimes, on 

 such occasions in country running (although not so 

 often now as formerly), they have to ride two, three, 

 or four, four-mile heats ; to do which, requires a man 

 to be not only of a strong constitution, but in tolerably 

 good condition, as such horses often require a great 

 deal of perseverance on the part of the jockey, to get 

 their races out of them, in coming such long lengths. 

 If a jockey is drawn too fine by wasting, he will be 

 in too delicate a state to render his horse the necessary 

 aid in running required of him. Under such circum- 

 stances, or indeed, under most others applicable to 

 grooms and jockeys, it is necessary to make choice of 

 such boys as are of small features, and whose parents 

 were of low stature. If the boys are coarse and bony- 



