GALLOPING IN CLOTHES CONDEMNED. 49 



TRAINING THEEE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLDS. 



In training three and four-year-olds very much the 

 same process will have to be gone through as with two- 

 year-olds, with this exception, that the distance of the 

 canter should be increased from one quarter to half a 

 mile, and the duration of work from one to two hours. 

 And further it is desirable that the colt have occasional 

 opportunities of testing his improvement in speed and 

 stoutness by having a rough gallop with an older horse 

 at a fair speed for one and a half mile once every 

 fortnight, unless ill health or the state of the ground 

 prevent it. 



This gallop, however, should always be gone through 

 with as light a weight as is desirable, and also without 

 any clothes. Nothing makes horses slower than gallop- 

 ing under a weight of rugs. Well can I remember 

 three racehorses in one stable being made incorrigible 

 curs by being subjected to three brushing gallops in 

 clothes in one week, with a view to presenting a ' semb- 

 lance of condition ' at the end of it ; for the trainer in 

 this instance was a man of too sound judgment and 

 too much experience ever to imagine that anything 

 more than the ( semblance ' would be exhibited on the 

 day. He satisfied his employer and his horses so fully 

 that they both had quantum suff. for that season. 



TRAINING OF FIVE-YEAR OLDS AND UPWARDS. 



In the first instance we must consider the age, con- 

 stitution, and previous work that the horse has been 

 doing, 



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