THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 351 



were similar to the first. Dexter was never headed in the 

 race, and won all the heats very easily. The second and 

 third were 2m. 36s. and 2m. 34s. Two days afterwards, 

 Dexter trotted again. This was at the Union Course, mile 

 heats, three in five, in harness. Lady Collins went against 

 him. He won in three heats easily, 2m. 34|s., 2m. 36s., 

 2m. 37s. 



Previous to the first race, I had put the muzzle on Dex- 

 ter, as we commonly do with trotting-horses in training, 

 especially just before the race ; but I now discovered that 

 there was no occasion for it, and after that he was never 

 muzzled, and had all the hay he wanted. I have said, in 

 prior chapters of this work, that no rules can be laid down 

 as absolute guides for training horses, because horses differ 

 so much in constitution. Dexter was a good, moderate 

 feeder, but would not stuff himself full of hay, or eat his 

 litter. Other horses I have had that could not be kept in 

 condition and wind without being usually muzzled in their 

 training. 



On the 13th of May, Dexter trotted again, at the Union 

 Course, against Doty's bay mare, to wagons. He won the 

 first two heats in 2m. 36^s., 2m. 39s. and then she was 

 drawn. On the 18th, at the Fashion Course, he trotted 

 mile heats, three in five, in harness, with Lady Shannon, a 

 gray mare, in the hands of Robert Walker, and the bay 

 gelding Shark, who was in Dan Mace's care. This horse 

 belonged to Mr. Jacks then. He was by Hambletonian, 

 out of the old mare that was the dam of Dexter's dam. So 

 Ihey were closely related. Shark had had a trial on the 

 Union Course with a running-horse, and was said to have 

 gone fast. He had some backers, but Dexter was the fa- 

 vorite. In the first heat Dexter took the lead, and was three 

 lengths ahead at the half-mile pole in 1m. 15|s. ; Shark was 

 second. Dexter made a skip on the home-stretch, but won 

 it easily in 2m. 33s. ; Shark second. In the second heat, 

 the gray mare was nearly head-and-head with Dexter at 



