BRITISH TURF. 69b 



caution ; and some years previous, a one-eyed 

 jockey met with a bad accident at Worcester from 

 the same cause. He was winning easily, when 

 turning his head quite round to have a full view of 

 his horses, he ran against a post. 



We will conclude our remarks on jockeyship 

 with a brief explanation of what is meant by the 

 term set-to, in the finish of a race ; for which pur- 

 pose we cannot do better than quote the description 

 given of this part of the race by Mr. Apperley, the 

 scene being confined to the last four hundred 

 yards. 



" The set-to is about to begin, or, in other 

 words equally technical, he (the jockey) is about 

 to ' call upon his horse.' But before he does this, 

 he alters his position in his saddle. He has been 

 previously standing up in his stirrups, with his 

 body leaning forward over the horse's withers, and 

 his hands down, somewhat below them. He now 

 changes the position of both body and hands : he 

 seats himself firmly down in his saddle, his body 

 catching, as it were, the stride of the horse ; and 

 raising his hands off his withers, first gives him 

 an easy pull ; and then, and not till then, the set-to 

 begins. He now moves his hands, as if describing 

 a circle,* by way of rousing his horse, by 



* We find the use of this double movement thus explained by a 

 writer in the Sporting Magazine for May, 1 837. " When a horse is 

 at the top of his speed, the least adverse movement balks his stroke 

 and injures his pace. To illustrate the effect of this forced and ir- 



Q Q 2 



