DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. 109 



the horses should walk, shut up in the yard, for 

 as long a time as the groom may think it 

 necessary to steady them, and prevent their 

 becoming tricky. Those precautions having been 

 taken, the yard door is opened, and the horses 

 are walked out ; being followed by the groom on 

 his hack, they proceed to the downs to exercise. 

 But, to make all as safe as we can, we will men- 

 tion another little precaution that the groom 

 may advantageously take when his horses are 

 very hearty from having lain by: — the horses 

 having been, as we have just described, walking 

 in the yard for at least an hour, by which time 

 they will have emptied themselves, stretched 

 their legs, and have got somewhat off their 

 calfish tricks, the groom should, before he 

 lets the horses out of the yard, give his or- 

 ders to the boy leading the gallop, by saying to 

 him — " Mind, Frank, they are rather hearty this 

 morning, (meaning the horses) ; as soon as you 

 see that all the horses have got as far on the turf 

 as will give them good foot-hold, keep fast your 

 own horse's head, and go right away up the 

 long gallop, at a good steady even pace." The 

 groom,in speaking to the rest of the boys, says — 

 " Mind, you all keep fast hold of your horses' 

 heads, and, in following Frank, be sure you all 



