Arabs. On the other hand, too light a lad, say one of 7 stone, may not be strong enough to hold a big horse together, and it is always better to put up a little extra weight in the shape of muscle, than to allow a horse, and particularly a young one, to sprawl all over the place. When a horse has once learned to gallop, unless he be a determined puller, an 8-stone lad will generally be able to do all that is wanted, and with such an one up-if he be at all a "workman"-a horse's legs will stand far longer than under a heavier weight, while the owner need not fear fast work in the same degree, as he should do with the other. One may sometimes chance on an English jockey that is light, does not drink, and is a good race rider. Such a man is indeed a treasure, and will be cheap at Rs. 150 a month, five gold mohurs for a wining, and Rs. 50 for a losing, mount, if an owner keeps four or five horses. But anything short of the genuine article should be shunned, for one of the nondescript lot would take more looking after than a stable of twenty horses. In default of a regular English jockey, an owner's only safety is in employing quiet native lads. Probably he will have to make a selection from his syces and grass-cutters, or from their sons, and be obliged to teach them himself to ride. As the British nondescript is to be avoided, so is the genuine “ coachwan," who delights in gold laced caps, and in sticking out his toes in front of his horse's nose. The best native riding lads I have met have been syces' sons, whom their masters taught, and succeeded in keeping in order. From Rs. 6 to Rs. 10-the "coachwan" will require Rs. 30 a month-will be quite enough for such boys, with a small present, say Rs. 5, when any of the horses win. The master should be most careful in keeping them in their place, and should always insist on their helping the syces when grooming. Treat them fairly, and a little liberally at times, but never "give them their heads," nor allow them to gallop a horse, or take one out of the stable without being present one's self. The three great faults of native boys are, that they ride with too long stirrups, stick their toes out too much in front, and don't "ride a horse up to his bridle;" this latter failing is most marked in race riding. Besides this, when silk is donned, they almost all lose their heads when it comes to a finish with English jockeys. After a native boy has been taught to ride with a fair seat and good hands, the next thing is to give him some idea of pace, which is usually taught by employing the anna system." As there are sixteen annas in a rupee, a four-anna gallop is made to stand for quarter, eight annas for half, twelve annas for three quarters, and sixteen annas for full speed. Each quarter of a mile being clearly marked by a post or pillar on the course where horses are galloped, the trainer, when instructing native boys, should tell them, before each gallop is given, how many annas' speed he wants, and then may accurately time each quarter of a mile with his stop watch, so that, after the gallop, he may be able to correct the boy, and point out where the latter went too fast, or too slow, as the case may be. The eye alone is not sufficient to detect slight variations of pace; besides that, if the master holds the watch, the boy will more readily believe that he is being told correctly. If the lad be willing and intelligent under this system, and be given instructions as to holding the hands, keeping the proper position of the leg and foot, judging the right length of stirrup, &c., he ought to learn to ride a training gallop fairly, in say three months. The trainer may teach the lad the rates of speed by a conventional standard (vide Chapter on Training); or by the exact division of time; as take for instance that the length of the race course is 14 miles, that the horse in question can do this, with the boy up, at full speed in 2 m. 50 s., and that the order for the training gallop is once round at eight annas; then the time the horse should take would be 5 m. 40 s. This I know is slower than the accepted idea of what half speed should be; but if a faster pace be required, it is just as easy, and perhaps tends less to confuse the lad, to increase the number of annas ordered. Here I take for granted that the race course is level, like almost all our Indian ones. At Dehra Doon, for instance-which is nearly flat for the first half mile, down-hill for nearly 5 furlongs, pretty level for a quarter of a mile, and then up-hill for about the last half mile from home-further directions would be requisite to teach the lad to slightly vary the pace, as the nature of the ground would require. CHAPTER XIII. Shoeing. FORM OF THE NATURAL HOOF-PREPARATION OF THE FOOT-THE SHOE-NAIL-HOLES-PUTTING ON THE SHOE-NECESSITY OF -CUTTING DOWN. Form of the Natural Hoof-The natural shape of the healthy foot of the horse is as follows: 1st. The frog is large, and comes well down on the ground, so as to act as a buffer in diminishing the effects of concussion, and also to prevent the animal from slipping. 2nd. The sole is thick and well protected from injury. 3rd.-On hard, level ground, the bearing surface of the foot is composed of the frog, wall of the hoof, and a considerable portion of the sole within the wall. 4th. The slope of the fore-foot, viewed in profile, will, as a rule, be about 50°, while that of the hind feet will be about 55°. This difference in obliquity is due to the fact that the hind feet are chiefly used in propelling the animal, while the fore-feet are principally employed in supporting the weight of his body, hence the wear of the former, at the toes, is greater than that of the latter. Owing to the manner of attachment of the back tendons and suspensory ligaments (see Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners, pages 9, 10, and 11) the more the toe is raised, while the heel remains on the ground, the tighter will these structures be drawn; hence, the more oblique the foot, the greater danger will there be of sprain. The more upright the foot, the more direct will the effect of concussion be on the sensitive lamina (the membrane that secretes the inner layer of the horn of the wall), on the pedal bone, and on the coronet; hence, the greater the susceptibility to inflammation of the feet or of the coronet. As the unprotected hoof readily wears down by friction with the ground, it assumes, when the animal is in a natural state, the slope best fitted to equalise the risk of injury from concussion on the one hand, and strain to tendon and ligament on the other. The horn of the sole and frog, when it becomes too thick, exfoliates or flakes off, while that of the wall of hoof will grow to an indefinite length, unless it be subjected to friction with the ground, or to some mechanical means for keeping it short. “If we place a fresh hoof that has never been shod— I mean one that has not been trimmed and dressed by the farrier, and that belonged to an animal with no hereditary defect in this respect-on a table, we will find that the crust, bars, and a considerable portion of the posterior part of the frog are on the same plane and must have sustained wear together. The outer surface of the crust looks shining, tough, and solid; the sole is wonderfully thick, and the horn beneath the flakes, if there are any, is moist, flexible, and easily cut; while the frog, if it be a fore-foot, extends well |