CHAPTER IX. 

 My Recollections* 



Another horse I took, when she was considered to be 

 totally unfit for racing, was Nannie B., by Glenco, out of 

 Mary Churchill, by Alex. Churchill. The mare belonged to 

 Warren Viley, and previously he had given John Harper a 

 half interest in her for training the animal. After working 

 with her for months Mr. Harper came to the conclusion that 

 she was utterly worthless, and he so informed Mr. Viley. 

 The latter had no confidence in her ability himself, but he 

 gave Mr. Harper $100 for his half interest in her. 



Mr. Viley thought after awhile that there might after 

 all be something in the mare, and he persuaded me to take 

 her on shares. I was to stand all the expense of training and 

 was to conduct the campaign with her. I found her condi- 

 tion had not been misrepresented. She was even worse off 

 than had been claimed. 



She was a mare that required very little or no training, 

 and I found, after a careful investigation, that Mr. Harper 

 had trained her too much. She could not stand the hard 

 work. He was unable to make her eat what she needed to 

 sustain her. The heart was taken out of her by the constant 

 strain, and, as a result, when she was placed in a race, she 

 made no showing. 



A trainer should study the horse upon which he is work- 

 ing, in order to make him do what he is really capable of 

 doing. Where one horse requires constant hard work, 

 another will need next to nothing, the rest being all the 

 preparation that is necessary. There are hundreds of train- 

 ers to-day who are simply working the racing properties out 

 of their horses and rendering them useless for the future. It 

 is true, they may succeed in winning some few races by this 

 system, but in the end the fallacy of the treatment will be 

 proven. 



It was but a short time until I became convinced that 

 such was the case with Nannie B. I gave her a rest, and she 

 brightened up and began to take on flesh and strength. In 



