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USE OF THE WHIP Over at St Louis a few days ago Gil Curry while watching the efforts of some of the jock ¬ eys riding at that track was moved to deliver some remarks concerning tbe use and misuse of tho whip that are worth considering He said saidIt It is really a pity that some of these boys do not learn how to draw a whip before using it They all go for it in a terrible rush draw it as a beset soldier draws a sword as if their life depended on getting it out qnckly Then they throw themselves ovetin the left stirrup swing ¬ ing all the weight on that side and throwing the horse out of bis stride bring their hands high down Then come down smartly timingthe blow to tbe stride and putting sticg and snap into the crack with the wrist Do not try to put in too many licks Time them nicely Put them in with zip You never saw a good boxer a good baseball batter or a good hitter of any kind that drew back quickly just before hitting out Draw ¬ ing back quickly destroys balance time and distance Eeep the body still while whipping see that the faot are evenly disposed in the stirrups then use the arm and wrist There will be just as much force in the blow Then always let your horse know you are going to whip before you take your hands off the reinc If he is a swerver he will start then and you can hold him Most of the swerving under the whip is done in the first few licks Hold your left baud well down and tight Then fan him instead of belaboring him Do not turn half around in the saddle to whip Indeed the only part of tho body that should change position during a drive isthe right forearm In all other j CONTINUED OK SECOND PAQB over their heads and as far back as possible and come down with all their might This brings them back into the right stirrup with a bang and pulls the horse out of his stride again Just to find out how much this switching of wtights from one side to tho other hurts a horse run past a friend as fast at you can and let him just nip your coat with finger and thumb as yon go by He will about throw you down So yon will find out how much this swinging hurts a horse driven all out I have not yet spoken of letting the horses head go which is the most important part of it and the hardest to avoid doing It takes a great rider to hold his horse as well with one hand as with two But if the boys would only draw the whip and use it right they would help themselves a lot lotThe The way to draw a whip is to have it always ready Go to the bat in time and do not be in a rush getting it up If yon take it up too quick and too high your arm will throw yon off your balance Take it up slowly and do not raise the hand higher than the shoulder Eoep the elbow USE OF THE WHIP Continued from First Page respects it should remain just as it was when handriding handridingIt It may seem to the inexperienced that great big swings of the whip helped along by the weight of the body hurt more but I assure yon neat swift wrist raps well delivered will have aiore effectual propulsive power What would you think of a trottinghorse driver that swung around in his sulkey and threw the whip back onlil it touched the tracV and then came for ward with it for dear life Why hed ba railed off for pulling Yet that is just what many jockeys do every day Of course they aro boys and you cannot expect mens work from boys
