RECOLLECTIONS OF MEN AND HORSES 



I early grasped the truth that the majority of old- 

 time trotters, those excluded from the speed stand- 

 ard of to-day, were largely the outgrowth of chance, 

 were bred in aimless fashion, and lacked the indi- 

 vidual excellence to establish a progressive family. 

 I also realized that as Messenger, a thoroughbred 

 from England, had stamped Hambletonian with in- 

 dividuality and remarkable potency, an occasional 

 return to the thoroughbred, the purest of all bloods, 

 would strengthen the fiber of the light-harness horse. 

 The thoroughbred could not be classed as entirely 

 alien blood, and therefore would not prove as an- 

 tagonistic to harness action as some of my critics 

 averred. The strong chest development of the thor- 

 oughbred race horse affords greater room for the 

 work of the vital organs, and this contributes to 

 nerve force and staying power. The quality of the 

 bone is better, giving strength with lightness and 

 increasing speed capacity. Every superfluous pound 

 adds to the handicap of the horse in a contest for 

 the highest honors of the track. The machine which 

 IS clean, muscular, and well-balanced is the one re- 

 lied upon to accomplish the best results. A big and 

 heavy head may destroy poise with as much certainty 

 as big and clumsy feet. The trotting gait may be 

 looked upon as an acquired heredity, but, through 

 persistent use, it is engrafted upon the type, and is 

 transmitted with regularity. When you introduce a 

 thoroughbred strain into a trotting pedigree, you 

 should choose one not only adapted to the type, but 



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