RACE-RIDING. 299 



his left leg, and is chucked into his saddle by the 

 trainer, who generally wishes him " luck'''' as he 

 performs this office for him. After he has seated 

 himself firmly down in it, and tried the length of 

 his stirrup leathers, he takes his " up-gallop," as 

 he calls it, of perhaps half-a-mile, his trainer gene- 

 rally leading the way on his hack ; and then walks 

 his horse quietly to the starting-post. But his 

 method of starting his horse depends entirely on 

 circumstances. If, for a half-mile-race, in which 

 a good start is a great advantage, he catches fast 

 hold of his horse's head, and, if he will not start 

 quickly without, sticks both spurs into his sides as 

 soon as the word " go " is given, taking his chance 

 of getting his head dow^n into its place when and 

 how he can. If, for a two-mile-race, or over that 

 distance, he need not be in such a hurry at start- 

 ing, provided he do not lose too much ground ; but 

 all this must in great measure be regulated by his 

 orders, whether to make running or to lie by and 

 wait. We will, however, put him in all these dif- 

 ferent situations. 



The Half-mile Race^ generally straight. Orders, 

 " To make rumiing!'^ Having turned his horse 

 round beyond^ or, we should rather say, behind^ the 

 post, he brings him as quietly as he can back to it, 

 with his near-side bridle-rein passing outside of, 

 and over the lower part of, the palm of the left 

 hand, and then pressed firmly by the thumb, and 

 with the ofF-side rein between the middle and third 

 fingers of the right hand, in which he also has his 

 whip ; but, at starting, and throughout a race, 



