THE HORSE. 



65 



The acknowledged superiority of the performances of the American over EnglUi 

 trotters, or to speak with more precise accuracy, extraordinary performances in * 

 greater number of cases, has been already attributed to superior skill in training, b\: 

 on that we must not be understood as laying so much stress, as upon superior jockey 

 ship in this particular department ; for the training of the trotting horse, so far as we 

 can learn, requires no considerable skill, save as it is connected with the skill of the 

 jockey who usually acts in both capacities. For training, the whole code is said to 

 consist of three words air, exercise, and food. The work given him in training is 

 severe according to his constitution, and consists in walking him from twelve to 

 twenty miles daily, and giving him " sharp work" three or four times a week. This 

 " sharp work" is usually a distance of two miles, or sometimes three. The horse ia 

 not put to his speed this entire distance, but taught to rouse himself at intervals, at 

 the call of his jockey, who encourages him and brings out his utmost capacity by hit 

 voice, not less scarcely than by the usual persuasion of whip and spur. This feature 

 of trotting jockey ship is peculiar and not a little amusing. The jockey is continually 

 talking or rather growling to his horse, and at times he bursts out into shouts and 

 yells, that would be terrific if not so ludicrous. The object would appear to be two- 

 fold first, to encourage his horse to the utmost possible exertion of his powers when 

 called upon, and again, so to accustom him to this harsh shouting, that he may not 

 break up when he hears it from the opposing jockey for it is deemed not unsports- 

 manlike for one jockey to break up the pace of another's nag by thus actually fright- 

 ening him. Many a victory has Hiram Woodruff won by thus rousing his own horse 

 and breaking up his opponent's on the last quarter. These two-mile drives are not 

 repeated as is usual in training the race-horse. Nor is the work of the trotter giver, 

 at intervals so regular as in the case of the other, nor is he kopt in such habitual 

 quiet ; the trainer consults his own convenience to a great degree as to the time when 

 he will give his nag exercise, and he never hesitates about taking him out and show- 

 ing him at any hour. 



In other respects too, the treatment of the trotting-horse differs from that of the 

 more high-bred racer. Less delicate in constitution and form, he is less delicately 

 fed and groomed. Allowed to eat when and what they please, trotting horses are 

 groomed with much the same care as well-kept town coach-horses, or perhaps the 

 English hunter. In the two grand points of keeping them in robust health and giving 

 \hern hard work enough, the training of the trotter and the racer is identical; But for 

 the trotter from six to eight weeks' training is deemed sufficient. We are inclined to 

 believe that very much of the superiority of the American trotter and roadster ii 

 attributable to the skill of the jockey. Our mode of driving them differs essentially 

 fiom the English, and though neither easy nor elegant, it succeeds admirably in de- 

 veloping tt.e capabilities of a horse at this pace. The case already cited of Wheelan 

 and the horse Alexander in England, is in point, and it is practicilly illustrated eve** 

 6* i 



