550 THE HORSE. 



at the last, and "scarce able to carry their riders to the 

 scales. In the first heat Astbury was third, but so near 

 were all the horses that his place could with difficulty be 

 determined. Lying by, however, after the first heat, he came 

 forward in a final one, and won.* In the first dead heat 

 it is apparent, the weight of a few grains might have turned 

 the scale, 



By the former practice of the turf, the weights were heavy 

 and the courses long. Up to the commencement of the pre- 

 sent century, the weights for plate horses were from 10 st. 

 4 Ib. to 11 st. 6 lb., and the heats were of three or four miles. 

 By modern practice, the length of heats is reduced to one or 

 two miles, and the weight to about 8^ stones. The weight 

 does not include the shoes of the horse, which are therefore 

 made of the slightest construction. The saddle usually 

 weighs 3 or 4 lb., and sometimes it does not exceed 2 lb. 

 When weight is to be carried, either the saddle is loaded 

 with lead, or the weight is attached to the person of the 

 jockey, which is conceived to distress the horse less than a 

 stationary load. The jockey, with his appurtenances, is 

 weighed before he starts, and again on coming in, he must 

 proceed mounted to the place of weighing. If he dismounts 

 before, or wants weight, he is held to have been distanced, 

 unless he has been disabled by accident, in which case he 

 may be led or carried to the scales. 



The balancing of the horses' powers by their weights being 

 a necessary element in the race and in the calculations of 

 success, it is important to the person who bets to have a good 

 knowledge of the characters of the horses, of their age, and 

 of their powers, as shewn by their running. But, besides 

 the public manifestation of the horses' powers on the course, 

 it is not unfrequent to make private trials of the horses which 

 are to run, which enables their owners to speculate more 

 securely on the ultimate result. It is not deemed expedient 

 to prevent this system, but an endeavour is made to lessen 



* Mr Apperly, Quarterly Ileview. 



