216 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



he attains his greatest speed.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. 

 Stilhnan. 



Run Big'. A horse that runs when quite fat, and yet in 

 good training, is said to " run big." The term applies more 

 particularly to the English turf. 



Run Fine. For a horse to " run fine " is to carry no 



superfluous flesh ; trained fine ; in high form. 



All race-horse men will tell you tliat some liorses run big, and otliers 

 run fine — that is, that some are at their best wlieii rather stouter 

 than wliat, on the average, is regarded as perfect condition, while 

 otliers show the highest form when trained pretty "fine," but the 

 latter are in the minority. That S(;me horses are at tlieir best 

 when very fine is true beyond question; but I know that in tlie 

 great majority of cases a horse, to be in the pink of condition, must 

 carry a quite fair degree of flesh— a good smootli coating over the 

 ribs, not feeling gross and thick to the hand, but amply covering 

 the bones.— Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 



Run-in. A term used more especially in the hunt and 

 steeplechase, where the horses come in in fine style at the 

 close ; but also used in describing the finish of a running race, 

 as, "a fine run-in," "a fine finish." That j)art of the course 

 on which the finish of a race takes place ; the last quarter ; 

 the straight. 



Run off ; Run out. [Eng.] The habit w^hich many 

 horses have of turning away from fences, w^hen in the chase, 

 and, instead of taking them, turn rapidly and run along their 

 side. To break a horse of this habit nothing is so effectual as 

 a secundo bit, which, though quite severe, is much used with 

 horses that refuse. 



Running Horse. The thoroughbred race horse. The 

 exterior conformation of the running horse may be summed 

 up in these words : He should have a high chest and long 

 members ; a short body and strong loins ; the neck, shoulder, 

 croup, thigh, buttock, leg and forearm should be long, without 

 being too heavy in the upper part ; the members strong, clean, 

 free from blemishes ; he should have wide and thick articula- 

 tions, closed in the superior angles, open in the inferior ; a 

 deep chest, abdomen slightly full; fine skin, hair, mane and 

 tail ; an animated and expressive physiognomy ; he should be 

 graceful, nimble, elegant, excitable, energetic, impetuous, and 

 of great endurance. 



Running" Races. [Eng.] During twenty years coming 

 down to about 1890, the average time of the English Derby at 

 Epsom, has been 2m. 48sec.; the Grand National at Liverpool, 

 has been for the same time, 10m. 13sec. The Derby is one and 

 one-half miles ; the Grand National is four and one-half miles. 

 At Epsom one mile has been run in Im. 52 sec. ; at Liverpool in 

 2m. 16sec. The Derby horses carried an average of eighty 



