COUNTRY SPORTS AND LIFE IN CHILE. 177 



of intelligence and patience on the part of both man and 

 beast. I have never seen or heard of races being con- 

 ducted in the same way in any other part of the world. 

 The distance for these races is very rarely over three 

 hundred yards, and generally about two hundred or one 

 hundred and fifty. About three months before the race 

 is run_, the horse is brought up to be trained, and, as 

 everything depends on this, great attention and patience 

 are required. Supposing the horse has never run such 

 a race before, his forelegs are fastened together by a 

 broad leather strap ; he is then allowed to stand perfectly 

 still, and on his attempting to rest himself by shortening 

 one of his hind legs, a slight tap is given to the leg, 

 which makes him straighten himself again ; after a week 

 or so he learns to stand perfectly straight and true on 

 all four legs, allowing his trainer to take up any leg and 

 place it where he likes ; the hind legs must be perfectly 

 even to a hair. After this first lesson a whip is gently 

 moved over his head, and now and then thrown lightly 

 over his loins — his fore legs being still tied. At first, 

 of course, he jumps about, but must be immediately 

 '^ gentled,'^ and led back, and the whole afiair gone over 

 again. A blow or a rating at this stage of the training 

 would spoil the horse for ever for this kind of racing. 

 By degrees the strap is taken from his legs, and after a 

 few lessons the horse will allow his trainer to " set '' him, 

 and then crack a whip all round him, without his movino- 

 a muscle; neither the trainers nor the lookers-on are 

 allowed to speak a word when the horse is being set. 

 The day of the race comes; first of all a long line is 

 scratched across the course, the same as in a foot race ; 

 in the next place, a line of stout sticks is planted at right 

 angles to this line for about twenty yards down the 



N 



