DEVELOP SPEED IN HORSES. 43 



CHAPTER XIV. 



MANAGTiMENT BEFORE AND IN THE RACE. 



We will assume now that your horse is good enough 

 to keep the starters company in the race, as far as speed 

 is concerned, but never having been in a race, you can 

 not tell how he will act in scoring among a half dozen 

 starters, some up in the air, and some in fron», sone be- 

 hind, the crowd in the ampitheatre and along the inside 

 railing to the track all excited and more or less noise, is 

 all calculated to somewhat excite a green trott'er, and a 

 green driver as well. If you are going to start your 

 horse in a race to-morrow, you should observe some of 

 the hints before spoken of, as to the curtailment of hay 

 and water, to-night. In the morning give the horse his 

 regular feed of oats at the regular time, and a little hay, 

 and probably w^alking exercise will be all he will require ; 

 and at ten o'clock give him two more quarts of oats and 

 a few swallows ot water. He will not want any thing 

 more until an hour before you start, you can give him a 

 pint of oats; it doesn't amount to much but satisfies the 

 animal, and he will not miss his afternoon feed so much 

 it the race should be prolonged by broken heats. Get 

 everything ready and have boots, if you wear boots on 

 the horse, that will protect him ; they should be made to 

 fit. You Avill need quarter boots any way, and probably 

 knee boots, and hind leg, shin and pass boots; at all 

 events give him what protection he needs, and own them 

 yourself; don't borrow or depend on borrowing; have 

 bandages, sponges, pail of water, etc., handy. If you go 

 to the stable to rub out you will only have to take a pail 

 of water and sponges to the quarter stretch to sponge 

 out with. If you do not weigh 150 pounds have your 

 extra weight to mjake that in the cushion to your sulky. 

 Hitch up about fifteen minutes before you will be called, 

 and proceed to warm up for the heat, and accustom the 

 horse to the crowd and the music (if there is any), and the 



