riding heats for a plate or other premium.

The first thing to be considered in this sort of gaming is the choosing a rider; for it is not only necessary that he should be very expert and able, but he must also be very honest.

He must have a very close seat, his knees being turned close to the saddle skirts, and held firmly there, and the toes turned inwards, so that the spurs may be turned outward from the horse's belly; his left-hand governing the horse's mouth, and his right the whip. During the whole time of the race, he must take care to sit firm in the saddle, without wavering or standing up in the stirrups. Some jockeys fancy this is a becoming fest; but it is certain, that all motions of this kind do really inconvenience the horse. In spurring the horse, it is not to be done by flicking the calves of the legs close to the horse's sides, as if it were intended to press the wind out of his body; but, on the contrary, the toes are to be turned a little outwards; that the heels being brought in, the spurs may just be brought to touch the sides. A sharp touch of this kind will be of more service toward the quickening a horse's pace, and will sooner draw blood, than one of the common coarse kicks. The expert jockey will never spur is horse until there is great occasion; and then he will avoid striking him under the fore bowels between the shoulders and girth; this is the tenderest part of a horse, and a touch there is to be reserved for the greatest extremity.

As to whipping the horse, it ought always to be done over the shoulder on the near side, except in very hard running and on the point of victory; then the horse is to be struck on the flank with a strong jerk; for the skin is most tender of all there, and most sensible of the lash.

When a horse is whipped and spurred, and is at the top of his speed; if he claps his ears in his pole, or whisks his tail, it is a proof that the jockey heats him him hard, and then he ought to give him as much comfort as he can, by sawing the snaffle backwards and forwards in his mouth; and by that means forcing him to open his mouth, which will give him wind, and be of great service. If there be any high wind stirring in the time of riding, the artful jockey will let his adversary lead, holding hard behind him, till he sees an opportunity of giving a looee: yet, in this case, he must keep close behind, that the other horse may keep the wind from him; and that he, sitting low, may at once shelter himself under him, and assist the strength of the horse. If the wind happen to be in their back, quite a contrary method is to be taken with it; the expert jockey is to keep directly behind the adversary, that he may have all the advantage of the wind to blow his horse along, as it were, and at the same time intercept it in regard to his adversary.

When running on a level carpet ground, the jockey is to bear his horse as much as the adversary will give him leave, because the horse is naturally more inclined to spend himself on this ground; on the contrary, on deep earths, he may have more liberty, as he will there spare himself.

In riding up-hill the horse is always to be favoured, by bearing him hard, for fear of running him out of wind; but, in running down-hill, if the horse's feet and shoulders will bear it, and the rider dares venture his neck, he may have a full looee. If the horse have the heels of the rest, the jockey must always spare him a little, that he may have a reserve of strength, to make a push at the last post.

A great deal depends on the jockey's knowing the nature of the horse that is to run against him; for by managing accordingly, great advantages are to be obtained: thus, if the opposite horse is of a hot and fiery disposition, the jockey is either to run just behind him, or check by joul with him, making a noise with the whip, and by that means forcing him on faster than his rider would have him, and consequently spending him so much the sooner; or else keep just before him, in such a slow gallop, that he may either over-reach, or by treading on the heels of the fore horse endanger tumbling over.

Whatever be the ground that the adversary's horse runs worst on, the cunning jockey is to ride the most violently over; that by this means it will often happen, that in following he either stumbles or claps on the back finesse.

The several corrections of the hand, the whip, and the spur, are also to be observed in the adversary, and in what manner he makes use of them; and when it is perceived, by any of the symptoms, of holding down the ears, or whisking the tail, or stretching out the nose like a pig, that the horse is almost blown; the business is to keep him on to this speed, and he will be soon thrown out or distanced. If the horse of the opponent looks dull, it is a sign his strength fails him; and if his flanks beat much, it is a sign that his wind begins to fail him, and his strength will soon do so too.

After every heat for a plate, there must be dry straw, and dry cloths both linen and woollen, ready to rub him down all over, after taking off the sweat with what is called a sweat knife; that is, a piece of an old sword blade, or some such thing. Some advise the sleeping the cloths in urine and saltpetre the day before, and letting them be dried in the sun for this occasion. After the horse has been well rubbed with these, he should be chafed all over, with cloths wetted in common water till the time of starting again. When it is certainly known that the horse is good at the bottom, and will stick at the mark, he should be rid every heat to the best of his performance; and the jockey is, as much as possible, to avoid riding at any particular horse, or staying for any, but to ride out the whole heat with the best speed he can. If, on the contrary, he has a fiery horse to ride, and one that is hard to manage, hard-mouthed, and difficult to be held, he is to be started behind the rest of the horses with all imaginable coolness and gentleness; and when he begins to ride at some command, then the jockey is to put up to the other horses; and if they ride at their ease, and are hard held, they are to be drawn on faster; and if it be perceived that their wind begins to rake hot, and they want a sob, the business is to keep them up to that speed: and when they all are come within three quarters of a mile of the post, then is the time to push for it, and use the utmost speed in the creature's power.

When the race is over, the horse is to be clothed up and rode home; and immediately on his coming into the stable, the following drink is to be given him. Beat up the yolks of three eggs, and put them into a pint and half of new milk made warm; let there be added to this three pennyworth of saffron, and three spoonfuls of salad oil, and let the whole be given with a horn. After this he is to be rubbed well down, and the saddle place rubbed over with warm sack, and the places where the spurs have touched, with a mixture of urine and salt, and afterwards with a mixture of powder of jet and Venice turpentine; after this he should have a feed of rye-bread, then a good mash, and at some time after these as much hay and oats as he will eat. His legs after this should be bathed sometimes with a mixture of urine and saltpetre.