log COURSING 



untrained are common enough, and their connections imme- 

 diately say, ' If Fly-by night could perform like that in such 

 condition, what could he not do if thoroughly prepared ? ' So 

 they proceed to trot and gallop him vigorously, stuff him with 

 slices of mutton from prime joints, and bring him to the slips 

 heavily backed for a big stake ; and great is their dismay when 

 he is upset in the first round, perhaps by a dog whom he easily 

 beat when untrained. 



As with racehorses so with greyhounds : many an under- 

 trained one wins, and many an over- trained one goes down. 

 Moral: It is better to under-train than to over- train your horses 

 and dogs. 



Many trainers are in the habit of ' letting down ' their 

 charges immediately before running that is to say, they give 

 them a strong preparation to within four days of the meeting ; 

 they then dose with Epsom salts, and substitute a light farinaceous 

 diet up to the day on which they are to run. The wisdom of 

 this plan we take the liberty of doubting, believing that a too 

 sudden reaction of the digestive organs would be induced, and 

 a consequent relaxation of nerve and muscles ensue ; and we 

 have noted that greyhounds thus treated have perhaps shown 

 speed and brilliance, but have failed to stay beyond a course or 

 two, even when they have been lightly let off. With regard to 

 general feeding, variety should be the watchword ; for, however 

 good the food may be, no dog will thrive without a change, 

 not only in the ingredients used, but in the method of prepara- 

 tion and the consistency of the pudding. Taking a dog of 

 ordinary constitution whose peculiarities are unknown to us, 

 and given a month to prepare him for a stake, we should feed 

 him as follows, having first administered opening medicine 

 followed by alterative condition balls, and an external dressing 

 of black sulphur and train oil. 



For the first week. Well-boiled and shredded horse-flesh 

 with its broth, old hound-meal, mashed turnips and beetroots. 



Second week. Toasted horse-flesh cut into small squares, 

 brown bread, trotter jelly, carrots or parsnips. 



