220. DOUBLE-POSTS-AND-RAILS must either be taken flying at a good and fast pace, with a liberal use of the persuaders, or else the "in-and-out" jump (paragraph 213) is to be adopted. In all cases this kind of fence is a dangerous one, and many otherwise bold riders carefully eschew it on all occasions. 221. GATES may be taken like posts-andrails, but they are more dangerous, because they are generally across ground sticky and deep from the passage of cattle; and also from being sometimes unfastened, they give way a little on being struck by the knees of the horse, and thus ensure his fall in a very awkward manner. treated according to the nature of the fence. which if open and straggling, and without stubbs, does not interfere with the ordinary mode of taking the fence as a simple bank; but if the thorn-fence is strong and pleached, the whole must be taken flying, with sufflcient pace to clear the width, whatever that may be. 227. The same remarks apply to the next division-viz., banks with thorn-fences and single or double ditches, except that they require greater caution, and more jumping power. 228. BULLFINCHES must either be taken at full swing, using the arms and hands as a 222. PLAIN BANKS merely require the "on-guard for the face, or they may be passed and-off" style described at paragraph 212. by creeping, at which some horses are very clever, but a thick fence of this description can seldom be got through except at full 223. DITCHES must be taken with great warning and persuading, with the spur, if wide enough to require it; but if narrow-charge. that is, not exceeding six or eight feet, with sound ground on the landing side, a slower pace will suffice, or even sometimes a standing-jump. 224. BROOKS, unless fordable, will demand a good pace, catching fast hold of the head first of all, and driving well at the brook, without confining the head when taking the leap. Wherever there is a chance of refusing, both hands should command the bridle, and the horse should be carefully watched, lest he turns either way and "baulks" the leap. 225. BANKS WITH DITCHES only require a little more care than without them; and when the ditches are wide, the horse must be ridden a trifle faster. 229. WATTLED-FENCES on each side of a bank, called "doubles," are very difficult to get over when high and strong; the only plan is to jump on to the bank and off again, as they are generally too wide to take at once. 230 STONE-WALLS are the easiest of all fences when the horse is fully aware of their nature. The eye should always be on the look-out for very low places, which should not be selected, because they are often the boundaries of gravel-pits or stone-quarries, at which parts high walls are not required. Generally speaking, the safest place to take is a part of the wall of average height. A slow hand-gallop is the best pace, and the horse should be well collected on his 226. BANKS with thorn-fences must be haunches. PART II. HORSE-RACING. CHAP. I. BOOK IV.-MATCH-TROTTING. SECT. 1-DESCRIPTION OF TROTTING- good game-looking heads, and legs and feet of iron. In this last point, and in stoutness, they are unrivalled; and there is no doubt that there are very few English horses which could repeat Tom Thumb's feat of trotting 100 miles in a little over the 10 hours. Still, I believe there are or have been some; and that it might be done by English horses with as much ease as by him, if they were expressly selected and trained for the task The match against the Hereford Coach was a subterfuge, because the horse was led all the way. I have myself driven 80 miles in a heavy gig within 12 hours, more than four hours of which were occupied by a rest in the middle; and I am quite sure that the animal would easily have gone 20 mil s further without the rest, or with only sufficient for taking her feeds; and this was without any training except her usual work. But Tom Thumb's performance was a very great trial of stoutness; and the Americans, I think, may claim a superiority in this respect, as well as in the pace at which the trot is performed. The fact is, that from a want of proper racecourses they have been compelled, until lately, to confine their contests to trottingmatches, and hence have bred exclusively for that purpose; and they have succeeded, in a wonderful manner in doing what they wished, as they do in most of their under 231. This amusement, formerly popular in this country and also in America, has now become almost a dead letter in the annals of sport. Occasionally one sees a report of a trotting-match between Mr. Smith's Tinker and Mr. Brown's Polly, or some such names, for £10 a-side, but nothing to call for the attendance or the interest of the admirer of horse-flesh in the shape of a good hack. Very recently the following paragraph appeared in our chief chronicle of sport, which marks its present condition and character:-" Trotting Extraordinary. At Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, on the 26th July (1855), the Norfolk Cob, 4 yrs.. 14 hands, was matched to trot one mile in 3 minutes, which he completed in 2 minutes 47 seconds; and on the same afternoon was matched to trot four miles in 13 minutes, which he also completed in 12 minutes 19 seconds, although he threw his fore-shoe within a mile and a-half of the winningpost." This match makes a poor substitute for the exciting contests of Rattler and Driver, or Rattler and Rochester, when thousands changed hands, and when also the performances were vastly superior in point of specd. Driver, though little more than 13 hands high, performed the extra-takings, when at all practicable. It may ordinary feat of trotting 17 miles within the hour. Tom Thumb did 18 miles within the hour; and 100 milles in a few minutes over 10 hours in harness. But no English horse can compete with the American trotters, many of which can perform a mile in 2 minutes 30 seconds, on a fair trot; and can "pace" the same distance in about 2 minutes 12 or 13 seconds. This pacing is a bastard kind of trot, and is not considered fair by the Americans themselves. In estimating the time of their races on the other side of the Atlantic, it must be known that the horses are allowed to start on full swing; but the American trotters which have beaten English horses on English ground were obliged to comply with the English custom of starting from the walk, as usual in this country. The American trotters are very common-looking; generally of middle size, and with plain hind-quarters, but be interesting to compare an account of the trotting-matches of America with those of our own island. The following report of one is extracted from Murray's Lands of the Slave and the Free; but there can be no doubt that it is an exceedingly correct description of their races, as conducted in the neighbourhood of New York. At New Orleans the course is of a different nature, and there the gallop is the pace at which the contest is conducted; in fact, in all respects but in the beautiful elasticity of the turf itself, their proceedings resemble those of our second-rate race-courses. 232. DESCRIPTION OF A LONG ISLAND TROTTING-MATCH." The race-course is a two-mile distance, perfectly level, on a smooth and stoneless road, and forming a complete circle. Light trotting-waggons are driving about in the centre, taking it easy at 16 miles an hour; outside are groups of rowdies' making their books, and looking out for greenhorns, an article not so readily found at Long Island as at Epsom. The race is to be under the saddle,' and the long list of competitors which had been announced has dwindled down to the old and far-famed Lady Suffolk, and the young and unfamed Tacony. A stir among the 'rowdies' is seen, followed by the appearance of Lady Suffolk. I gazed in wonder as I saw her a small pony-looking animal, moving her legs as though they were in splints, and as if six miles an hour was far beyond her powers. Soon after Tacony came forward, the picture of a good bony post-horse, destitute of any beauty, but looking full of good stuff. The riders have no distinctive dress; a pair of Wellington-boots are pulled on outside the trousers; sharp spurs are on the heels-travels in America, the same gentleman rough and ready-looking prads these. The winning-post is opposite the stand; the umpire is there with a deal board in his hand; a whack on the side of the stand, 'summons to horse; and another, summons to start.' The start is from the distance-post, so as to let the horses get into the full swing of their pace by the time they reach the winning post, when, if they are fairly up together, the cry 'off' is given; if it be not given they try again. When speaking of the time in which the mile is completed, the fact of its commencing at full speed should always be borne in mind. Sometimes false starts are made by one party, on purpose to try and Irritate the temper of the adversary's horse; and, in the same way, if a man feels he has full command of his own horse, he will yell like a wild Indian, as he nears his adversary, to make him 'break up, or go into a gallop; and, as they are all trained to speed more by voice than by spur, he very often succeeds, and of course the adversary loses much ground by pulling up into a trot again. On the present occasion there was no false start; the echo of the second whack was still in the ear as they reached the winning-post neck-and-neck. 'Off' was the word, and away they went. It certainly was marvellous to see how dear old Lady Suffolk and her stiff legs flew round the course; one might have fancied she had been fed on lightning, so quick did she move them, but with wonderfully short steps; Tack, on the contrary, looked as if he had been dieted on Indian-rubber balls. Every time he raised a hind-leg it seemed to shoot to his own length a-head of himself; if he could have made his steps as quick as the old lady, he might have done a mile in a minute nearly. Presently Tacony breaks up, and ere he pulls into a trot a long gap is left; shouts of 'Lady Suffolk! Lady Suffolk wins!' rend the air; a few seconds more and the giant-strides of Tacony lessen the gap at every step; they reach the distance-post neck-and-neck: Tacony wins!' is the cry; and true enough it is, by a length. Young blood beats old blood; Indian-rubber balls whip' lightning. Time, 5 minutes. The usual excitement and disputes follow; the usual time elapses, whack number one is heard all ready-whack number two; on they come: snaffle-bridles-pulling at their horses' mouths as though they would pull the bit right through to the tips of their tails. Off!' is the cry; away they go again. Tacony breaks up; again a gap, which huge strides speedily close up again-Tacony wins. Time, 5 minutes 5 seconds."—Hon. Captain Murray. In another part of his alludes to another locality:-"The racecourse at Philadelphia is a road on a perfect level, and a circle of one mile; every stone is carefully removed, and it looks as smooth and clean as a swept-floor. The stand commands a perfect view of the course, but its neglected appearance shows clearly that trotting-matches here are not as fashionable as they used to be, though far better attended than at New York. Upon the present occasion the excitement was intense; you could detect it even in the increased vigour with which the smoking and spitting was carried on. An antagonist had been found bold enough to measure speed with 'Mac' the great Mac, who, while whipping creation,' was also said never to have let out his full speed. He was thoroughbred, about 15 hands, and lighter built than my rawboned friend Tacony, and he had lately been sold for £1,600. So sure did people, apparently, feel of Mac's easy victory, that even-betting was out of the question. Unlike the Long Island affair, the riders appeared in jockey attire, and the whole thing was far better got up. Ladies, however, had long ceased to grace such scenes. Various false starts were made, all on the part of Mac, who, trusting to the bottom of blood, apparently endeavoured to ruffle Tacony's temper, and weary him out a little. How futile were the efforts the sequel plainly showed. At length a start was effected, and away they went, Tacony with his hind-legs as far apart as the centre arch of Westminster Bridge, and with strides that would almost clear the Bridgewater canal. Mac's rider soon found that in trying to ginger Tacony's temper he had peppered his own horse's, for he broke up into a gallop twice. Old Tacony and his rider had evidently got intimate since I had seen them at New York, and they now thoroughly understood each |