THE GREYHOUND IN TRAINING 105 



rule is a good one to keep in view when reducing flesh, and 

 is for the most part approximately correct. When once the 

 trainer has found the weight at which a mature dog shows to 

 greatest advantage, the weighing-machine will always answer 

 the important question as to ripeness, and will frequently check 

 a tendency to over- train. 



The advice we have given as to the final preparation of 

 greyhounds must only be taken generally, as it is impossible 

 to lay down any hard and fast rule, for the simple reason 

 that the constitutions and temperaments of greyhounds vary 

 to a remarkable degree. The old saying that ' What is one 

 man's meat is another man's poison,' is peculiarly applicable 

 to greyhounds ; a preparation necessary to enable one dog 

 to stay to the end of a big stake would send another to 

 the slips jaded and ' over - marked.' Here is where the 

 ability, experience, and intelligence of the trainer are tested. 

 It is 'his duty to mark the running of each of his charges most 

 carefully, and when he sees one display fire and dash, together 

 with stamina, he will know that he has had a preparation that 

 suits his constitution. But when a kennel companion that has 

 had identical work shows speed and smartness in his first or 

 first two courses, but, without undue pumping, or any unforeseen 

 contingency such as a cut or a sprain, fails to raise a gallop, 

 and lobs along behind his opponent without attempting to 

 share the work, he may reasonably suspect that the dog is 

 over-trained, and on a future occasion it will be as well to send 

 him to the slips a pound or two heavier. 



There are many greyhounds who, starting in a stake a bit 

 above themselves, yet manage to survive a couple of courses, 

 and, improving as they go on, run themselves into perfect con- 

 dition, and wind up brilliantly. Examples of this are very 

 frequent, and a notable one is Miss Glendyne, who was 

 decidedly 'jolly ' when she went to the slips for the Waterloo 

 Cup the year following that in which she had divided with 

 Fullerton's dam, her half-sister Bit of Fashion. She ran her 

 first two courses in very slovenly style ; but by the time she 



