BRITISH TURF. 555 



thickly covered with moss, and is moist and elastic 

 in the driest part of the season. From the circum- 

 stance of its absorbing the heaviest rain in a few 

 hours, it is equally available for galloping in the 

 wettest weather. 



Having touched, so far, on what suggested itself 

 as an outline of training, we will now proceed, on 

 the same plan, to treat of the qualifications, 

 whether natural or acquired, necessary to form a 

 good trainer. 



In no calling of life is shrewdness and caution 

 more required than in the trainer 3 in fact, without 

 these requisites to start with, a man might as well 

 attempt to scale the moon as to do any good on 

 the turf. In addition to these indispensables, he 

 should be of the strictest integrity ; which, sooner 

 or later, amply repays its possessor, by obtaining 

 for him the confidence of his employer and the 

 public. He must also be sober, that he may 

 always have a clear head to study and attend to 

 the various tempers and constitutions ol the horses 

 placed under his management, so as to do the best 

 with them in training, and afterwards run them to 

 the best advantage. Finally, he must be close to all 

 the world, except his employer, concerning the 

 secrets of the stable. 



As the trainer is expected to know every thing 

 relating to a race-horse and to the turf, his ap- 

 prenticeship to his calling cannot begin too early 

 in life. The knowledge we allude to, may be 



