60 AVOID FATIGUE. 



covered by his pace becoming wretched, and his stride 

 short and irregular. He should go through another 

 gallop, with the same caution, on the next day but one, 

 when he will doubtless improve on his former per- 

 formance. 



For many reasons, at this stage of training, it is most 

 foolish to gallop a horse until he be distressed. 



In the first place, it can be of no use to force or 

 allow him to continue a wretchedly slow pace all that 

 could be got out of him which could never win a race 

 in any company. And in the second place, the effects 

 on the system would be so injurious that it would be 

 quite ten to one that the horse would have to be thrown 

 by, perhaps for months. 



It is only when you find that your horse is lean on 

 his ribs, clear in his wind, firm and hard in his muscles, 

 and high in his spirits, that you may venture on taxing 

 his powers to the utmost ; not until you perceive that 

 he holds his pace from end to end with unabated 

 vigour and freedom of action, are you justified in 

 allowing him to be shaken along, or if lazy to receive 

 a stroke or two of the whip during the last two or 

 three hundred yards ; when if he be really fit to run he 

 will spring from the whip and increase his efforts ten- 

 fold ; but if unfit, unless wonderfully game, he will die 

 away immediately any additional call is made. 



I know of no better symptom of good training than 

 this, when a horse has sufficient vigour and freshness 

 left in his constitution, after going at top speed for two 

 or three miles, to make continual rushes when called 

 upon. 



