I90 TRAINING IN INDIA 



shy feeders, or are easily upset by work, should have this 

 extra day's rest every week. 



What we call half speed is considerably faster than if 

 the distance were done in twice as long a time as the 

 horse could do it at full speed. A similar remark applies 

 to conventional three-quarter and quarter speed. The 

 latter is in reality about seven annas ; half speed some- 

 what better than ten annas ; and three-quarter speed 

 about fourteen annas (adopting the custom of counting 

 pace by annas : see p. 112). Thus, for a horse that can 

 do his mile in 1 m. 48 s., the time that he would take to 

 do that distance at the different rates would be about as 



follows : — 



min. sec. 



Quarter speed 3 50 



Half speed ... ... ... ... 2 45 



Three-quarter speed ... ... ... 2 5 



Full speed 1 48 



As a rule, a uniform pace should be maintained during 

 each gallop; for nothing upsets a horse's style of going 

 and temper more than *' putting on the steam" the 

 moment he enters the straight run in. Horses accustomed 

 to this practice often refuse to extend themselves until 

 then* "heads are turned home," and then either bolt or 

 run away. This, of course, would be fatal in a race. 



The speed and distance of the weekly work which I 

 have detailed should be gradually increased as the pre- 

 paration proceeds. Thus, a second-class Australian, say 

 one who could cover his mile with weight for age up in 

 1 m. 48 s., might commence doing his half-mile gallops 

 in 1 m. 45 s., and towards the end of two months might 

 do the three-quarters of a mile in 1 m. 50 s. 



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