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1. Course not your Horse hard at least four or five days before you run your match, lest the soarness of his li••bs abate his speed.
2. Except your Horse be a foul feeder muzzle him not above two or three 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before his match, and the night 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his bloody courses.
3. As you give your Horse gentle courses, give him sharp ones too, that h•• may as well find comfort as disple∣sure thereon.
4. Upon the▪ match-day let your Horse be empty, and that he take his rest undisturbed till you lead him out.
5. Shoo your Horse ever a day before you run him, then the pain of the Ham∣mers knocks may be out of his feet.
6. Saddle your Horse on the Race-day in the stable before you lead him forth, and fix both the Pannel and the Girths to his back and sides with Shoo-makers wax, to prevent all dangers.
7. Lead your horse to his course with all gentleness, and give him leave to smell to other horses dung, that there∣by he may be enticed to stole and emp∣ty his body as he goes.
8. Lastly, When you come to the place where you must start, first rub his limbs well, then uncloath him, then take his back, and the word given, start him with all gentleness and quietness that may, lest doing any thing rashly, you choak him in his own wind.
A Race-horse ought to have all the finest shapes that may be, but above all things he must be nimble, quick, and fiery, apt to fly with the least motion. Long shapes are tolerably good, for
though they shew weakness, yet they assure sudden speed. The best horse for this use is the Arabian Barbary, or his Bastard; not but Gennets are good, but the Turks much better.
Having laid you down all these ad∣vantages for ordering your Racer, from his taking up, to the day of his running, I hope you will make such good use of them, that if upon an equal match you should lay your money on the heels of your horse thus ordered, he shall be so far from kicking away his masters stake, that the nimbleness of his feet shall make it double.
I might here insert the many subtil∣ties and tricks there are used in making a Match, the craft of the Betters, with the knavery of the Riders, but that they are now too generally known by the woful experience of too many Ra∣cing-losers.