TRAINING FOR RACING, POINT-TO-POINT 377 



very fit, may prove of the greatest benefit to him. Not much 

 subsequent work is needed to bring him out in excellent 

 condition, but still the necessary hard work, and plenty of 

 it, must have been done within a sufficiently recent period, 

 the good effects of which have not had time to pass away. . 



Many a mare will again win races after having been 

 awhile at the stud, sometimes indeed showing improved 

 form, but in their cases a certain length of time is required 

 in which to get them into racing trim. They must not be 

 hurried. Perhaps the most notable instance was that of 

 Mr. W. Elsey's Xenie, by Xenophon out of Griselle, in 

 August, 1899. Not only was she eleven years old, but she 

 had bred five foals, and was even then in an " interesting " 

 condition, yet she contrived to win the Falmouth "Welter 

 Plate from six others at York Races, carrying the top 

 weight, 9 st. 13 lbs., and giving a stone to the second ; and 

 she also carried off the Londesborough Plate a little later 

 the same afternoon. These wins were but the precursors of 

 others, and made a notable finish to the great deeds done on 

 the historic course during the past century. 



A beginner must have frequent schooling over fences to 

 acquire a good style of jumping, for to a great extent 

 steeplechases, and still more hurdle races, are won by quick 

 jumping, by the animal that can race up to its fences and 

 judge its distance well, and, above all, can get away 

 quickly on the far side and be into its stride at once. Prac- 

 tice, constant practice, is needed until the horse has learned 

 its lesson ; and however well old practitioners may perform, 

 they also need practice to harden and keep in order the 

 jumping muscles. It is not necessary to jump many fences 

 each time of schooling, nor full-sized ones, but they should 

 be stiff enough not to allow any liberties being taken with 

 them. Four or five fences are quite enough at a time, with 

 as much variety as possible, but they must be properly made 

 and properly placed. For the last half-dozen strides at 

 least the ground should be perfectly level on the approach 

 side of a fence, for if the horse has to begin making short 

 strides on account of the unevenness of the ground, he is 

 learning to be sticky instead of racing over the fences, and 



