378 RACE RIDING. 



which is well worth having, that a jockey has much more com- 

 mand over a horse with two reins than with one. 



A jockey should keep his hands "down," so that the horse 

 may be able to carry his head and neck in the best possible 

 manner for favouring the movement of his limbs and loins. 

 I have nothing to add to the remarks I have made in 

 Chapter X. on the management of the reins. 



STARTING. 

 Whether the orders are to wait, or to make the running, a 

 jockey should employ every legitimate means to " get off" as 

 quickly as he can ; for whatever distance is lost at the start, 

 must be made up when the horses are galloping, at which 

 time the effort to regain the lost lengths may be equivalent to 

 throwing away an advantage of as many pounds. We should 

 remember that the faster horses are going, the greater is the 

 effort required to make up lost ground. Although a horse 

 may, when his field is going comparatively slow, decrease a 

 gap of five or six lengths, with but a trifling expenditure of 

 force ; the task of making up such a distance in, say, half a 

 mile, when they are racing against each other, may try his 

 powers to the utmost. When walking up to the starter or 

 facing the " gate," the jockey should sit down in the saddle 

 with his seat well under him, so that he may not be jerked 

 back on to the cantle, or pulled over the pommel of the saddle, 

 in the event of the horse suddenly springing forward, or 

 swinging his head down and stretching out his neck, as 

 impetuous ones will sometimes do. He should keep his legs 

 close to the horse's sides, so as to be able to press him up to 

 the bridle, if required ; should ride with sufficiently long reins 

 to avoid the possibility of checking the horse when he is getting 

 into his stride ; and should be " off" with the drop of the flag. 

 When coming up into line, he should keep his horse on the 

 move as much as practicable ; for an animal that is bending 



