PREPARATION FOR FAST WORK. 321 



is cold in the forenoon, the horse is clothed in his sweaters, 

 the quantity varying according to the effect desired. A soft 

 porous blanket lies next the skin ; a breast-piece covers the 

 bosom, while the head and neck are enveloped in a hood. 

 Over the blanket, one or two, it may be three or four quarter- 

 pieces are thrown ; and perhaps another hood may be re- 

 quired, the undermost wanting the earlets. These are tied 

 and buckled, with care that no part encumber the action, nor 

 abrade the skin. The legs, the eyes, and windpipe, must be 

 clear ; the breast-piece must not be drawn so tight as to confine 

 the legs or press upon the windpipe. The saddle goes over all. 

 The horse is ridden to some convenient ground, hunters to the 

 field, racers to the course. If the horse's legs be defective, he 

 is mounted by a light weight ; sometimes he is led by a man on 

 another horse. In the first or second sweat it may be proper to 

 forbear riding ; but in general it is not a good practice to lead 

 the horse. He is so little under control that he is very apt 

 to be lamed. Arrived at the sweating-ground, the horse is 

 usually walked round it, just to let him know it, and to give 

 him the use of his legs. The pace increases from a walk to 

 a trot or canter, and from that to a gallop. The length and 

 speed of the gallop must be regulated by the training-groom. 

 Speaking generally, the horse should rarely go at full speed, 

 and not above a few hundred yards at a time. When a cer- 

 tain distance is not aimed at, the gallop should often end so 

 soon as perspiration is fully established, and in no case should 

 the horse proceed at the same pace after he appears the least 

 distressed. As he improves in condition, he goes faster and 

 further before perspiration appears. 



In racing-stables the sweats, almost from the beginning, are 

 of a certain length. According to Darvill, " the length for a 

 year-old, is two miles ; for a two-year-old, two miles and a 

 half; for a three-year-old, three miles, or three and a half ; 

 and for a four-year-old, four miles. In preparing for a four 

 mile race the horse may have to sweat four and a half or 

 five miles."* 



Though the colt or horse may have to go a certain dis- 

 tance, yet the pace at which he goes must vary with his con- 

 dition. At first, the lusty horse especially should go very 

 slow ; and when the body is loaded and the legs weak, I 

 think the full length should not be tried at first, even though 

 the pace be slow. For hunters the pace and the distance 

 mvst be limited by the state of the legs, and the freedom of 

 ♦ Darvill on the English Race-Horse.— Vol. II., p. 270. 



