EVILS OF CHILDREN AS JOCKEYS. 201 
little less than an absolute certainty for him. We find one 
horse running no less than thirty-six times (one year), winning 
but four races with a boy up, and over short courses (not one 
exceeding six furlongs) ; whilst #zshermman ran with a man on 
him, over long courses, 133 races, winning ninety-six—within 
a fraction of three out of four, against, in the other case, 
one in nine. , 
This one contrast should suffice, even if other conclusive 
arguments had not already been adduced, to show the neces- 
sity of having a man and nota boy toride. As it is, in the 
fields of to-day, amongst the ten or a dozen boy-riders, or 
often double as many, not a man is to be seen; and the lads, 
left to themselves, ride harum-scarum, with the result, if dis- 
aster be escaped, of a bad start, a cannon, and a complaint 
against one or more of the jockeys for foul riding: the owner 
blaming the starter, the starter the boys, and the public every 
one concerned in it; and whilst no one is pleased, except the 
winning owner, he, too, often suffers severely by his victory, be- 
ing misled by it in respect to futureand more important events. 
The Jockey Club, it must be said, have applied a partial 
remedy; and could their all-powerful aid be invoked, the im- 
portant task would be finished. They have wisely proscribed 
yearling races, and the running of any but two-year-olds half 
a mile, and they have at head-quarters also taken the initia- 
tive, and added to other improvements the introduction of 
welter-weights ; so that it only requires a little alteration— 
more long races with heavy weights, and fewer short courses 
with light weights—to complete the reform, so happily begun 
and so much needed. This change would create a demand for 
staying horses, which breeders would soon supply. It would, 
too, enable us to find the best of our non-stayers; and be 
the means of showing many a supposed coward in a very 
