FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



expectedly good ; and whatever puts him down, 

 it will not be weak or tired jumping muscles. 

 We eternally exercise and gallop horses, under 

 light weights, over dead flat roads and race tracks, 

 and then marvel that they fall or are beaten off 

 in their races ; nothing so confuses true " form " 

 in 'chasing as this fact. If one has not a hill, an 

 ordinary horse power, such as is used for thresh- 

 ing machines, is excellent; and any horse will go 

 kindly in (and out) of it if he is fed in it a few 

 times before it is started up, and then moved 

 slowly at first. An hour or so daily at this work 

 will do wonders in developing muscles one never 

 realized a horse had. 



It is an excellent arrangement, if schooling 

 fences can be so placed that a horse jumps them 

 as a matter of course on his return from his work, 

 and thus clears from four to six fences unaware 

 that he is being educated. Of course you can 

 handle him like a hunter and hunt him as well 

 if convenient ; but the dwelling style of a good 

 hunter is the last habit you want your tyro to 

 acquire, and the trick may recur to him some fine 

 day when the "money is down," and he thus 

 loses the all-important length or two, too near 

 home to again make it up. You do not want 



1 86 



