of entering the puppies to hare in the spring when they first come up from their quarters. He was a great advocate for this plan, and he told me he always practised it, taking them out with two or three couples of old harriers, and declared that he was convinced that when they were thus entered they turned out invariably better hunters afterwards, and that they were by no means more 'unsteady amongst hares than others which had not been entered in that manner. Nevertheless, with all his experience in the matter, and eloquence into the bargain, he did not succeed in making me a convert to his system, although I believe him to have been a most excellent judge in hunting, and a very first-rate performer both in the field and in the kennel. Old Will Carter, many years huntsman to Sir Mark Sykes, was another of these hare-hunting fox-hunters; he was an outand-outer in his way, and had a very good pack of hounds, as old sportsmen who live in Yorkshire, and who hunted with him for years, have informed me. But they were always, as I understood, fond of "currant jelly" in wild weather. The great Mr. Meynell was, I believe, the first who brought this system into fashion; but, like a good many more of the absurdities of our forefathers, it has now become exploded.

We will now return to the old hounds, which, when we had left them, had just concluded the by-gone season. Their services are now at an end for the present; their energies will no longer be required in the field for at least three months, and, by comparative rest and indulgence, their mutilated feet and battered joints are to be fresh braced up, and their nerves restrung with a new vigour for the labours of the next hunting season; but this rest must not be increased to slothful indolence, nor this indulgence allowed to grow into a contraction of laziness and fat. The stamina is to be preserved by good and nourishing food; but the elasticity of the muscles, and the clearness of the respiratory organs, must be kept in tune by a proportionable quantity of exercise and occasional doses of mild physic and alteratives. Upon the commencement of the dead months it is the custom of most huntsmen to bleed indiscriminately throughout the pack, without regard to age, condition, or constitution. As far as I can judge from my own experience, I should say that it is a most salutary practice, and I never knew any kind of harm arising from it, but, on the contrary, hounds thus treated have always thriven better after it, and have been, in themselves, during the whole of the hot weather in much better spirits and estate of body than when they have not undergone this kind of discipline. The whole pack ought to be bled, with the exception of such as may be very shy feeders and of an exceedingly delicate constitution; the extremely sudden change from high feeding and hard work to a state of comparative idleness, rendered still more heating by the naturally increased warmth of the atmosphere at that period of year, must without doubt create a disposition to form too great a quantity of

* A spayed bitch called Lely, belonging to Mr. Panton, who hunted near Newmarket, ran at the head of his hounds for ten seasons.-Dan. Bu. Sports.

blood, which may be plainly seen by any one who is acquainted with such matters in the fiery appearance of the eye-balls of hounds in the month of May, which have not undergone the operation of being blooded. A dose of salts should then be given, and after a few days' rest a course of sulphur should be immediately commenced, followed by a second dose of Epsom salts: previous to this second dose of salts there is no occasion for any exercise, further than on foot for a short time in the paddocks two or three times a day; but as soon as the effects of the second dose have subsided, horse exercise must commence for about two hours daily. In about ten days' time the sulphur should again be given, in the same proportions as before, followed by a dose of Epsom salts given in the same manner as the first. This will bring the time, when the hunting season has been continued through the month of April, to about the end of the first week in June, between which period and the end of July the whole pack ought to be dressed. The best time to dress them is while their coats are stirring, as by attention to that they will be much kinder and brighter than by dressing them when the hair is set. As all packs of hounds do not shed their coats exactly at the same time, but vary according to the work they have done and the physicking and dressing they have undergone during the preceding year, of course the time for anointing must be chosen with regard to that period. The young ones should also be physicked and dressed in the same manner as the old ones; some huntsmen dress them twice, but, unless there is a great tendency to redness in their elbows and flanks, the operation once properly performed is quite sufficient. If you keep their insides clean and cool, their outsides will naturally become the same; if any of them appear foul in their bodies, or become subject to worms, besides the above course of physic, the balls composed of calomel, antimony, and jalap, may be occasionally administered, the recipe for which I have given in the chapter on physic.

ON TRAINING THE RACE HORSE.

BY COTHERSTONE.

SHOEING.

Startle not, courteous reader, with the apprehension that I am about to inflict upon you a lengthened detail on this important operation; one which has already been treated upon so ably and copiously by several scientific and skilful veterinary surgeons, that it would be presumptive in me to attempt to add any additional observations. Their remarks, however, have been directed to the subject of shoeing

horses generally, without touching upon one or two considerations which are of some importance in shoeing race-horses.

It must always be remembered that different forms and descriptions of feet require differently formed shoes; but, generally speaking, a race-horse requires a much lighter shoe than a roadster, both as regards substance and the degree of cover or protection afforded to the sole. If a horse be low in his pasterns, he will most probably possess a flat foot with weak open heels; and, on the other hand, if upright, his heels will most probably be strong and narrow: doubtless there are exceptions, and whatever imperfections they exhibit, it is desirable to endeavour to remedy them as much as can be within the bounds of rational anticipations.

To avoid danger arising from the probability of a horse tearing his fore shoe off with his hind foot when galloping, the heels of the shoe must not be permitted to extend beyond the heels of the foot, and they should be rounded; neither should the shoe from the quarters to the heels be wider than the foot, as that is a part on which many horses will reach with their hind feet, and the consequence is not unfrequently serious. I do not mean to recommend that a horse should be supplied with shoes which are too short at the heel, or too narrow for the foot, but it is very essential that they be made to fit accurately.

The necessity for removing the shoes very frequently, for the purpose of plating, is commonly an operation attended with considerable inconvenience with horses that are required to run often at country meetings, and especially if they have thin, fragile hoofs; on this account it is desirable that no more fresh nail holes be created than are absolutely required. When the shoes are taken off for the plates to be put on, as a matter of course the nail-holes in each cannot correspond, as those of the latter must be driven nearer to the heels than is compatible with the proper adjustment of the former, otherwise the plates would be certain to be torn off or bent. These circumstances must surely be sufficient to point out the necessity of paying the utmost attention to the care of the feet, and treating them according to their peculiar natures.

Much confusion frequently arises at country meetings, in getting the smiths to plate the horses at a convenient time; the cause of which arises from the fact that most trainers go to stable about the same hour, consequently they all want the smith at the same moment. This inconvenience is greatly enhanced by a local rule at most places, which enforces that every horse shall be plated by a smith who subscribes to the Race-fund; the consequence of which is, that not more than two or three of these artificers qualify themselves; but it would be much more desirable to dispense with their paltry subscriptions, and even charge a portion to the owner of each horse in lieu, if the poverty of the funds require it; thus any competent smith would be eligible, and much trouble and inconvenience avoided. This hint will, I trust, attract the attention of stewards of races and committees, and induce them to erase the present restrictions.

Immediately after the plates are put on, a wet sponge should be applied to them, so as to create an incrustation of rust between the

I

nails and the holes in the plates, for the purpose of uniting them together more firmly, which will in some degree prevent their coming off, as it will also prevent the nails from working in the hoof so much as if they were left dry. It must be remembered that the portion of the crust which is below the range of the nail-holes soon becomes very brittle, appearing not to share in an equal degree of nourishment with the upper part: for this reason, blacksmiths should be cautioned not to bring the nails out higher up than is absolutely necessary.

RACE-RIDING.

To arrive at perfection in this very difficult art is not the attainment of a day; much less is it to be acquired by the perusal of any directions, however clear and voluminous they may be. It is of all occupations in life one of those which must be learnt by constant attention, and, when learnt, requires very considerable practice to perform with credit: nevertheless I am prompted to put these observations together; in the first place, because I feel assured that something on this subject would be expected; and, in the second place, under an impression that they may fall to the notice of some persons to whom they may prove acceptable.

It is certainly a beautiful science, one in which very few men are found to excel, and may truly be considered the ne plus ultra of horsemanship. There are many who can ride who may be considered as having attained a certain rank; but there are few, very few, who can be extolled as having gained pre-eminence. Like painters, many of whom can delineate the style, figure, and countenances of living subjects, or who can represent the scenery which they behold; but ages have only produced a very limited number who could give the master-touch, represent nature in her true character, and imitate those beauties which man is at best only allowed to copy. Such men as Rubens, Claude Loraine, Vandyke, and some few others of their class, have only appeared throughout a lapse of many centuries. So it is with the jockey: artistes comparable with the late Francis Buckle, Samuel Chifney, and James Robinson, are seldom to be met with. By watching their riding, it may be discovered that there is a delicate touch required" at the finish," which frequently wins or loses the race, according as it may be brought into effect at the just "nick" of time; in other words, there is a period when too much exertion required from a horse may be the cause of his defeat, and there may be another when his energies being called forth may make the race his own. These events, as a matter of course, refer to instances when the powers of two or more are very nearly equal; they may be casually produced by moderate riders, but with such they are more the effect of chance than judgment.

One great object to be acquired in the difficult art of race-riding is a familiar knowledge of the power and capability of the animal, so as to call forth his efforts at the proper moment; that is, to apply his powers of speed or stoutness, according to his qualifications and the relative qualifications of his competitors, judging from the action, condition, and faculties of each. Superiority on such occasions must result from experience, practice, and observation.

It is commonly considered the province of the trainer to direct how his horse is to be made use of; but, beyond the fact of whether speed or stoutness be the animal's forte, the rider is by far the most competent judge, being guided by circumstances which cannot be preconceived before the race begins.

That there are very few men who excel in this calling is not to be wondered at, when it is taken into consideration how many attributes are essential. To begin with, a man's stature must be small, and yet muscular; he must be good-tempered and patient without being rash, he must possess good nerve; and, above all things, he must have a disposition guarded with honour to defend him from temptation. There is not a more dangerous occupution than that of a jockey, unless his mind is fortified by honesty. The opportunities which may present themselves of obtaining money by acceding to nefarious arrangements, may appear too glittering for weak minds. But let me here remark, that there is scarcely a man in prosperity at the present moment whose character has ever been tarnished even with the blemish of suspicion, much less who has lent himself to disreputable practices; the detection of which is invariably followed by exposure, and exposure by ruin. However deeply laid and cunning a man's schemes may be, sooner or later the public are sure to discover them; and, when once only suspected, it is no easy matter to appease the opinions which have arisen.

The instructive faculties with which the horse is endowed, is one of the first studies which a jockey should take into his most serious consideration; it will enable him to compare 66 causes and effects," and thus lead him to account for many circumstances which otherwise appear inexplicable. In order to urge the animal to his utmost speed, the whip and spur are made use of, and, by the judicious use or the improper abuse of these instruments, he is either induced to increase his efforts or the reverse, according as his temper may be affected, or his physical powers may permit of his repeated exertions; but, if the former object is not attained, an evil arises by the application of these weapons, which thoughtless persons fail to recognize, an act of cruelty is perpetrated, and a foundation laid for much future disappointment. Having obtained the horse's greatest efforts by the use of the whip and spur, they may sometimes be necessary, to a certain degree, to induce the animal to continue his exertions until the termination of the race; but, in this, the disposition and power of the animal must be consulted. It is one of the great features in a jockey's skill to be enabled to discriminate whether it is want of power or temper which prevents the horse which he is riding from augmenting his exertions when called upon; and, if temper, whether that be not the result of previous punishment. The instinct of the animal is such, that, when his powers of speed are forced to their utmost, if he continue to be punished by the whip and spur, is it not natural to suppose that he imagines he is being goaded for his exertions, and consequently that he will relax them? That such is the case in many instances, and those of much more frequent occurrence than the casual observer is wont to recognize, I am perfectly persuaded. Long-continued punishment will cause the gamest horses, to stop, and not un