HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES. IOI 



hopes, a close study of the methods pursued by leading trainers, and the 

 physical and mental characters of the winning horses at either gait, 

 brings up matters of interest to all, and of especial moment to the stu- 

 dent of animal physics. 



"Since the early years of the present century (1806), when a horse 

 of unknown breeding trotted a full mile under saddle in the almost in- 

 credible time of 2:59 (but one second better than three minutes), the 

 records show a series of descending steps each step a tablet to the 

 memory of some once famous horse. 



"Flora Temple, the first to beat 2:20 in 1859, Dexter, Goldsmith 

 Maid, Rarus, St. Julien, Jay Eye See, Maud S. and Sunol, the present 

 queen of the trotting turf by virtue of her 2:08^,* have each in turn low- 

 ered the world's mile record at the trot; while among pacers the record 

 d*-ops from that of Roanoke first to beat 2:20 in 1852 past Pocahon- 

 tas, Billy Boyce, Sleepy Tom, Little Brown Jug and Johnston, to the 

 2:06 of Direct, the black California wonder, that has earned and now 

 holds the world's mile record at the pace f. * * * Brain capacity 

 in the horse is of vital moment to the trainer, as is brain capacity in the 

 student to the teachers under whom he seeks instruction. The sluggish, 

 stupid brain of dullard, horse or human, will never show that firm yet 

 plastic nature fitted best to carry knowledge. The brain one-sided in its 

 make-up may receive instruction fairly well, but when forced to execute 

 beyond a certain limit, falls by reason of its lack of balance, and fails to 

 hold the mastery at the very moment when the muscles, strained beyond 

 the power to respond in reflex action, most have need of mind control. A 

 first essential for the horse that carries highest speed at artificial gait is 

 a brain with ample room for strain in mental exercise a perfect poise, 

 that neither loses interest by lack of work in competition, nor overthrows 

 its balance by undue excitement. The horse that "keeps his head" can 

 be urged to greater effort and will break but rarely, catching quickly at 

 the gait desired in obedience to the driver's will; while the horse with 

 mental poise at best uncertain, carries his gait at moments to terrific 

 speed, but just as surely follows up by breaking, losing time, and possi- 

 bly a race, before he can be righted and held down to steady work. 



"I have no patience with that narrow view which credits brain in 

 so-called lower animals only as an 'instinct.' The horse that bears the 

 highest training goes beyond an instinct, and shows a true brain action 

 at once receptive and controlling in its functions. It cannot equal hu- 

 man mind, 'tis true, but to call it ' instinct ' merely, is an insult to the 

 horse creation. 



* Since dethroned by Nancy Hanks, 2:04, and beaten also as to record by the stallions Kremlin, 2:07^, 

 and Stamboul, 2:07%. 



t Direct still holds the world's mile pacing mark for stallions, having once again lowered it to 2:05^-2, 

 but the world's mile pacing record is now held by the gelding Mascot, 2:04. 



