CHAPTER VITI. 



INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN BY THE TRAINING GROOM 

 TO HALF A DOZEN OF HIS LIGHTEST AND BEST 

 RIDING BOYS, SUCH AS WILL HAVE TO RECEIVE 

 HIS PRINCIPAL OR SECRET ORDERS, WHEN THEY 

 ARE PUT UP TO RIDE HORSES OF A PARTICULAR 

 DESCRIPTION. 



Boys, as I have elsewhere observed, are most of 

 them, more or less, tricky; and on no account 

 should they ever be trusted with race horses by 

 themselves, either in or out of the stables. I beg 

 strongly to recommend these precautions being- 

 taken by my readers, yet not more strongly than 

 my own early experience has warranted; for I 

 confess that when a boy I have, when opportunities 

 offered, been almost as mischievous as my com- 

 panions in playing off very dangerous tricks with 

 horses. The best course for the groom to adopt, 

 is, to select for instruction from the number of 



