The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-08 00:00:00

The 0 d Method of Horz e Training.

We extrftet the
,following from "Here's Sport Indeed,"
by Lord William Lennox, in the llar,± i...umber of the
Sporting Magazine:—

As the racing season is about to commence, and the
nominations for the year 1866 are considerably greater
than those of any former year, we consider that we cannot
do better than offer a few remarks upon a most important
subject—that of training the racehorse.
Many noblemen and gentlemen train in their own paCks;
and often the stud-groom undertakes the office of getting
the horses into condition for running. The above system,
which we think is au excellent one for those about to be
engaged in hunters' stakes, hurdle or steeple-chases, is not
generally approved of. Still, we think it has one advan-
tage, and that is that the horses are always well fed, which
in some few stables, when done by contract, at so many
guineas a week, is not equally attended to. Wild Dayrell,
the sire of so many racehorses, is a proof of what may be
done by private training. Although trainers (like doctors
with biped patients) disagree in their mode of preparing
horses, we think the following system, founded upon rea-
son and experience, will prove to be the best

As a month is the least thee that can be allowed to
draw the animal's body clear, and to refine his wind to
that state of perfection which is attainable by art, it is
at first necessary to take au exact view of the state of
his body, whether he be high or low in flesh ; and it is
also necessary to consider whether ho be dull and heavy
or brisk and lively when abroad. If he appear dull and
heavy, and there is reason to suppose it is owing
to too hard riding, or, as the jockeys express it
to some grease that has been dissolved in exercise,
and has not been removed, then the proper remedy is half-
an-ounce of diapento, given in a pint of good sack, which
will at once remove the cause, and revive the creature's
spirits. We fear the worthy knight., Sir John Falstaff,
omitted the nauseous drug, and stuck to the vinous prepa-
ration, or ho possibly might have become less heavy, less
idn the
eht
hloielaatonst,gheberir:,e
that
Bantingish, than he was. After this, for the first week of
the month, the horse—not Prince llal's fat boon companion
htaeintedlik
h e 01 —shouldlpeo,
rsometimestbeioufe splite
likes
i3eb
se at, ns,
alwayssometimes
leav-
inginay feed at leisure,
when alone. At feedieg7timo, whatever is left of this must
be removed, and fresh given. By these means the animal
will soon become high-spirited and full of play. Every day
he must be ridden out, and every other day it will be pro-
per to increase his exercise, but not so as to Take him
perspire too much. The beans and oats should 15e put into
a bag, and beaten, until the hulls are all off, and then win-
nowed clean ; and the bread, instead of being chipped in
the common way, should have the crust cut off. II the
horse is in good health and spirits when taken up for its
month's preparation, the chief business will be to give him
good food, and as much exercise as will keep him in wind
without over-tiring him. When he takes more severe
exercise afterwards, towards the end of the month, it will
be advisable to have some horses to gallop with him.
This will put him on his metal, and the beating them will
give him spirits. It is, however, to be cautiously
observed that he is not to be pressed to full
speed for ten days or a fortnight before the race, and
that the last gallop must be in his clothes. This will
make him run with much more vigour when stripped for
the race. In the second week the horse should have some
food, and dried oats that have been hulled by beating.
After this they aro to be wetted in a quantity of white of
egg, beaten up, and then laid out in the sun to dry; and
when perfectly free from moisture, the horse is to have
them. This food is very light of digestion, and excellent
for the animal's wind. The beans at this time should be
given more sparingly, and the bread should be made of
three parts wheat and one part beans. If his system should
cease to be cool, ho must then have some ale and white of
eggs beaten together. in the last week the mash is to bo
omitted, and barley water given in its place every day un-
til the morning before the race. He should have his fill
of hay at first, and then it ought to be given more spar-
ingly, that he may have time to digest it; and on the day
when the high-mottled racer is to appear on the course, ho
must have a toast or two of white bread, soaked in sack,
and the same just before he is led out to the field. By this
means the two extremes of fulness and fasting are equally
avoided, the ono damaging his wind, and the other occa-
sioning faintness that may make him lose' his race. After
he has had his food, the litter should be shaken up, and
the stable kept quiet, that ho may not be disturbed until
ho is taken out to run.

The above was the old-fashioned manner of training,
in days when bottom as well as speed was required ; and
and we have given it in the hopes that officers and
sportsmen who occasionally wish to get their horses into
condition to run for a military or hunting sweepstakes
may profit by our advice, without going to the expense
of a trainer, who swallows up almost all the winnings,
and, in the event of losing, mulcts the owner of many
days' pay.

ML RKETS,--This Day.