196 TRAINING IN INDIA 



three-quarter speed. The short spin once a week may 

 now be gradually increased to one of three quarters of a 

 mile. During the last month of training, the spin may be 

 discontinued and a long gallop substituted, or an extra 

 day's rest, in the middle of the week, according as the 

 horse is found to stand his work. The speed of the 

 regular 1^-mile gallops may be gradually increased, up 

 to the beginning of the last fortnight, to within 6 or 7 

 sec. of full speed; and no sweat should be given later 

 than this. During the last fortnight, the trainer should 

 be most careful not to overwork his horse, though he 

 ought to wait till then before fully extending him. Two 

 Sundays' rest, another day's extra rest between the fast 

 work, with perhaps a day's hacking, two long slow gallops, 

 six or seven fast ones, to be run at nearly, if not quite, 

 full speed, and gradually working up to the distance that 

 has to be run ; a slow canter for three quarters of a mile, 

 on the day before the race ; and the race day itself will 

 be a judicious division of the last fortnight. The fast 

 gallops should not be given by racing horses against each 

 other ; for a very little of that kind of work will go a 

 long way. 



I have endeavoured, by using approximate times for 

 the gallops, to give a general idea of what would be 

 advisable with a sound, stout, second-class Australian, 

 which, with 9 st. 7 lbs. up, could do, on a level course, 

 his mile in 1 m. 48 s., or \\ mile in about 2 m. 18 s. 

 But there is such infinite variety in the way different 

 horses stand training, that it would be fruitless to give 

 more than a general outline of the system to be pursued, 

 with some hints and general directions which I hope may 



