264 ON RIDING A FREE-GOING HORSE 



together for a few strides. After which, he challenges 

 him again, by lifting up his hands and giving him a 

 hustle or two, to ascertain whether he is slackening his 

 pace being rather idle, or whether the pace and the 

 length he is going are telling on him. Now if the 

 boy, by challenging his horse, finds that he imme- 

 diately and determinedly gets at his usual stride, 

 he thinks, or perhaps he says to himself, (in the 

 language of the stables,) " Oh come, he has got plenty 

 left ; I shall hold him fast and let him go," meaning by 

 this, that he will keep a pretty fast hold of the horse's 

 head, and let him go on with the pace. And if 

 he finds the horse maintains his stride with ease 

 to himself, he will most likely not have occasion to 

 challenge him again until he is approaching near home, 

 or perhaps not even then, if he finds he is going well 

 within himself. But if he does not challenge him again, 

 it may be necessary that he should take a quiet pull 

 and hold him together for a few strides, that he may be 

 well ready when called upon to make a run, and 

 bring the whole of the horses home in concluding the 

 sweat, at a good telling pace. 



This is the mode in general practice of making 

 play, or rating a horse, so as to run no risk of over- 

 marking him. Only observe that some horses make 

 more free with themselves than others in sweating 

 and running. It is therefore necessary for a rider 

 to challenge such horses often, (unless they are very 

 flighty), to ascertain how much they may have left in 

 them ; and holding them quietly together according to 



