PRIVATE TRAINING GROOMS, ETC. 287 



better, unless he has any thing to communicate that, 

 without an accident, would be highly advantageous. 

 Advice, though well intended, given unasked to a young 

 nobleman or gentleman, may be displeasing to the em- 

 ployer, and will probably prove injurious to the groom, 

 by such noblemen or gentlemen ordering their horses 

 to be removed from his stables. But to an old expe- 

 rienced sportsman, who the groom knows has confi- 

 dence in him, he may open his mind rather freely, and 

 may even go so far as to recommend him in due time 

 to draw his horse, if he thinks there is no chance of 

 his winning. He may thereby save the horse from 

 being abused, and if the thing be well managed, it 

 may perhaps save the payment of forfeit or entrance 

 money. But under all circumstances, I cannot help 

 again remarking, that a public training groom, in giv- 

 ing his advice on such occasions, should be very cau- 

 tious indeed. The most proper channel of communi- 

 cating all such advice is through that which of all 

 others is likely to be most satisfactory to all par- 

 ties, — the private trials, or public running of the 

 horses. 



The priv^ate training groom should, in every respect, 

 be equal to the public training groom, in regard to the 

 knowledge of his business. This man has a much less 

 difficult game to play than the public trainer. It is 

 not unfrequent for the private training groom to reside 

 on the premises of the nobleman or gentleman in 

 whose employ he may be, and to be training the 

 horses entrusted to his care, in his master's park, 



