TREATMENT AFTER RUNNING 207 



one than to take up the bedding, without which most 

 horses will not lie down during the day, and many will 

 abstain from staling much longer than they ought to do. 

 On the day of the race, the grooming should be got over 

 quickly, for the horse should be disturbed and excited as 

 little as possible. For the same reason, I would never 

 plait the mane of an excitable horse. I may remark that 

 the use of plaiting the mane is to prevent the hair flying 

 about and getting entangled with the fingers of the rider 

 while he is holding the reins, especially when he wants to 

 shorten his grip on them. 



Having arrived at the race-course, the horse should be 

 kept walking in the shade, if possible, and the saddling 

 should be done quietly, and without any fuss. I think it 

 is advisable for the owner to look after this operation him- 

 self, and to see that the weights, girths, stirrup-leathers, 

 etc., are all right. The horse gets now, from a leather- 

 covered soda-water bottle, just enough water to rinse his 

 mouth out, the jockey is given a leg-up, the syce dusts his 

 boots down, and off they start for the post, where, in case 

 of accidents, a syce should always go, and should take a 

 spare stirrup-leather and girth ; for such things sometimes 

 break at false starts. Besides this, the jockey may have 

 to dismount in order to arrange some part of the gear, 

 and might require the syce to hold his horse, or to lead 

 him up to the starting-post in case he was fractious. 



Treatment after running. — A horse should be 

 watered immediately after a race, and, if he be much 

 distressed, he may get IJ oz. sweet spirits of nitre in a 

 drench, or 2 drs. carbonate of ammonia in a ball. If he 

 has not to run for five or six days, he may get a bran 



