H^Y SBBD. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



It Is my intention to give in this work a few short and 

 sensible hints as a guide to the horsemen who seek to 

 handle their own horses, who have had little orno experi- 

 ence in the art of developing speed. There is no leger- 

 demain or slight of hand business about developing a 

 trotter ; the business was formerly, say twenty-five years 

 ago, shrouded in mystery, and a trainer of trotting horses 

 was looked upon as a walking epitome of knowledge, 

 when at the same time nine out of ten of these same men 

 were comparatively amateurs. The whole business of 

 developmg speed in horses is based upon common sense 

 and the knowledge of the laws of health as applied to the 

 equine race. Now, to begin with, don't ever fool your 

 time away with a dunghill or cold-blooded animal, one 

 that will be looking for a place to lie down before he 

 gets to the half-mile pole. But don't understand me that 

 a horse of whose breeding nothing is known is necessarily 

 a dunghill. A well bred horse, if he doesn't look it, will 

 show it in his mi/es, and there is where breeding is of the 

 most value and satisfaction. But an exceptionally well 

 bred animal will never be overlooked by a horseman, 

 though he may have no pedigree that anybody knows of. 



We will take it for granted that your horse is broken 

 or has been driven in harness ; if your colt has never been 

 driven he may be worth more than if he had been 

 handled by some of the self-styled horse breakers. In 

 the first place, don't do anything to the young horse to 

 shake his confidence in mankind, but try and cultivate 

 his confidence and respect. As gpod a way as I know of to 



