1 88 TRAINING IN INDIA 



After these two months of preparatory work, the 

 horse's muscles and sinews will have begun to harden, 

 and he may now be put to regular galloping. 



Want of preparatory work, before giving horses regular 

 gallops, is but the too-frequent cause of break-downs. 



The work I shall now consider is that which would be 

 suitable for an ordinary Australian. An Arab's gallops 

 might be a quarter longer. With him, a long slow gallop 

 for two and a half or three miles might from time to time 

 be substituted for the short *' spurts." In timing, allow- 

 ance should be made for the fact of the Arab's com- 

 parative slowness. Thus, for instance, a second-class Arab 

 that could do at weight for age a mile in 1 m. 57 s., 

 i.e. say 9 s. worse than a second-class Colonial, ought, in 

 a gallop at conventional half speed over that distance, 

 to take about 15 s. longer than would the Australian 

 under similar conditions ; for, of course, the difference of 

 time between the two, at half speed, would be nearly 

 double that between them when fully extended, the 

 distance being the same in both cases. 



It is not without considerable hesitation that I give 

 illustrative timing ; for I know well what a large margin 

 must be allowed under varying conditions dependent on 

 the style of horse, the weight he carries, and the state of 

 the galloping track. I, therefore, crave the indulgence of 

 my readers in the attempt which I make to furnish 

 inexperienced amateur trainers who are unable to obtain 

 practical assistance, with a sound general idea of the 

 nature of the work required to bring an ordinary race- 

 horse in India fit to the starting-post. 



At first the work should commence with slow canters, 



