112 HOUSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA. 



not " ride a horse up to his bridle ;" a fatal failing in 

 race riding. Besides this, when silk is donned, they 

 almost all lose their heads when it comes to a finish 

 with English jockeys. 



After a native boy has been taught to ride with a fair 

 seat and good hands, the next thing is to give him some 

 idea of pace, which is usually taught by employing the 

 " anna-system." As there are sixteen annas in a rupee, 

 a four-anna gallop is made to stand for quarter ; eight 

 annas, for half; twelve annas, for three quarters ; and 

 sixteen annas, for full speed. 



Each quarter of a mile being clearly marked by a post 



or pillar on the course where horses are galloped, the 



trainer, when instructing native boys, should tell them, 



before each gallop is given, how many annas' speed he 



wants, and then may accurately time each quarter of a 



mile with his stop watch ; so that, after the gallop, he 



may be able to correct the boy, and point out where the 



latter went too fast, or too slow, as the case may be. 



The eye alone is not sufficient to detect slight variations 



of pace ; besides this, if the master holds the watch, 



the boy will more readily believe that he is being told 



correctly. If the lad be willing and intelligent under 



this system, and be given instructions as to holding his 



hands, keeping the proper position of his leg and foot, 



judging the right length of stirrup, etc., he ought to 



learn to ride a training gallop fairly, in, say, three 



months. The trainer may teach the lad the rates of 



speed by a conventional standard (see page 192); or by 



the exact division of time ; as take, for instance, that 



the length of the race-course is 1 miles, that the horse 



in question can do this, with the boy up, at full speed 



