202 SAM DARLING'S REMINISCENCES 



are all well dressed over, fed, then shut up. About 

 nine o'clock, in the summer-time, the second lot 

 are taken out, and go through the same course, 

 except that they are fed before they go out, as 

 they are later. Then the boys get their lunch; 

 after this they have the afternoon free. They 

 can either play games or take their rest (games 

 — cricket, football, etc.). They had quite a good 

 band some time ago. Then we go to stable the 

 first lot at five o'clock in the evening. I look 

 round them punctually every night at 6.25. At 

 stable time every leg is felt, and every horse 

 thoroughly examined. Orders are given to the 

 head man for any treatment for trouble I may 

 have found, either high temperature, or bad 

 tendon, or anything that may have turned up 

 since the morning. Then the head man receives 

 further orders what to do, and how to get the 

 horses ready accordingly for the work which I want 

 to do with them next morning. When there is a 

 trial the jockeys taking part in it come to my 

 office, where they are weighed out at weights which 

 I consider suitable to test the abilities of the horses 

 which are going to be tried. After the trial the 

 boys return to weigh in, and the trial is booked in 

 my Trial Book for future references. One takes 

 every necessary precaution to prevent mistakes, 

 which I fear cannot be avoided at all times, through 



