io8 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 tiot 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- 

 trqined 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 fora 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. 



