126 STRAW BEDS FOR HORSES 



will suppose it breaks up on the tenth of March. 

 Now, should the first spring meeting at New- 

 market, or elsewhere, not commence, as is some- 

 times the case, until near the end of April, we 

 shall have seven weeks for our horses to be on 

 the downs at their usual exercise, after leav- 

 ing their paddocks, which will give us as much 

 time as will be necessary to bring the most idle 

 of them in their best form to post. But, on 

 the other hand, should the frost continue until 

 towards the end of March, and the spring meet- 

 ing not commence at Newmarket till the end of 

 April, there would then be five weeks left, which 

 would be an ample portion of time for the young 

 ones to do what further work may be necessary 

 for them before they come out to post. But 

 if the spring meeting commences, as is some- 

 times the case, at the end of March, or early in 

 April, there might not be time to get the first 

 class horses sufficiently well ready to meet their 

 engagements; this, fairly speaking, would alter 

 the betting in the market, as most people who 

 are engaged in turf matters know well enough 

 that strong constitutioned horses coming out 

 short of work to run, are not very likely to be 

 winners; the second class, the hearty horses, re- 

 quiring less work than those of the first, the 



