Introduction 



and in trials of perhaps six or five furlongs, riding the older 

 horse against the two-year-olds. 



Practice of this sort taught you to jump off and get your 

 horse into his stride quickly without bustling him, and was of 

 the greatest assistance in making you a good judge of pace. It 

 also kept one in perfect wind. 



Had I not ridden gallops over short courses every day, I 

 do not think I could have won short races like the two welters 

 at Epsom — one at the Spring Meeting, and the other the day 

 after the Derby — when there was no straight six furlongs, and 

 Tattenham Corner to come round soon after the start. 



No matter how good a man may be in the hunting-field, he 

 will find race riding a very different matter when he comes to 

 try his 'prentice hand, and may take it from me, that before 

 he can hope to compete with the best professional riders, 

 whether over a country or on the fiat, nothing will avail him 

 but constant practice in the manner I have just described. 



Another matter of great importance is to have your horse 

 bitted with a bridle that suits his mouth. 



On the flat, this is not of so much consequence ; but it 

 makes all the difference in a steeplechase to have your horse 

 well-balanced when jumping and having perfect control over 

 him all through the race. Should he — as is not unfrequently 

 the case — get the upper hand and break away with his rider 

 when the starter drops his fiag, not only does he tire his jockey, 

 but soon runs himself out, and fails to stay home. 



Nothing is more trying than to ride a hard-pulling horse in 

 a long race like the Grand National ; and in such a case it is 

 long odds against the horse staying the distance. 



On the other hand, with your horse under proper control, 

 you can always keep him going within himself, with the result 

 that he will stay on to the end. 



xix 



