I50 TRAINING IN INDIA 



the fore-legs become tired, a considerable portion of the 

 weight of the horse and his rider, which is propelled 

 forward by the hind, has to be borne by the suspensory 

 ligaments of the fore-legs. No wonder then that race- 

 horses, as a rule, break down within the 'distance,' 

 especially if the ligament has been previously injured. 

 We also may readily see why they are more apt to break 

 down when out of work than when in condition." 



Fast work should be very sparingly given on hard 

 ground, owing to the great danger there is of horses 

 exercised on it spraining their suspensory ligaments, and 

 injuring the bones of their legs and feet. 



It is most important that the trainer should recognise 

 the fact that he can greatly increase a horse's speed by 

 practice. We find, as a rule, that a pedestrian who has 

 been put into regular training for the first time, will, 

 after a year's constant practice, do his 100 yards, say, 

 1 sec. faster, or his mile, say, 20 sees, better than he 

 could have done before, even when in condition. The 

 same holds good at boxing, fencing, and other kindred 

 sports; and, undoubtedly, does so with horses, whose 

 muscles obey the same laws as those of our bodies. The 

 benefit, however, which may be derived from practice, 

 in this respect, will be more or less lost if the work be 

 continued after the muscles have become fatigued; for 

 the simple reason that, as soon as they get into this 

 condition, the speed at which they first moved will become 

 decreased, and what was, at starting, fast work, ends by 

 becoming slow. Hence, the trainer, speaking generally, 

 should rigidly limit the distance over which he sends an 

 animal at a fast pace, to one which the horse can cover 

 without having to slacken off at the finish. 



