BRITISH TURF. 589 



own under perfect control. With such horses, he 

 cannot generally be too gentle ; but he must at the 

 same time be resolute when occasion requires it. 



The most difficult horses he will have to encounter 

 in his practice, are those of a lazy or craving dispo- 

 sition, which require incessant attention and rous- 

 ing in the race, especially at the finish, and those 

 with delicate constitutions, and with irritable 

 tempers, which will be often found restive and 

 inclined to bolt. 



With horses of this last description, his hands 

 cannot be too delicate, as they will not stand being 

 pulled, or put out of their way. As long, there- 

 fore, as they go straight, and do not over-pace 

 themselves, the rider should preserve an easy 

 rein. 



While on this subject, we must express our 

 opinion that the system of riding with what he 

 calls a slack rein, recommended by the elder Chif- 

 ney in his " Genius Genuine," has been run down 

 by more than one writer on this subject, with- 

 out sufficient inquiry into the meaning intended 

 to be conveyed by the author.* 



In justice to this writer, whose well known skill 

 and experience as a jockey should give his 

 opinions on these matters great weight, we 

 will here quote, in his own quaint language, the 



* Much nonsense was written by the late Samuel Chifney, in a 

 pamphlet called " Genius Genuine," on riding the race-horse with a 

 slack rein, &c." — Encyclopeedia Britannicn ; Horsemanship, \i. 622. 



