IO2 HINTS ON SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT OK HORSES. 



"Admitting, as a first essential, brain in horse as well as human, 

 we may ask, is there a second necessary a sort of corollary to the first 

 wherein the tape-line and the practiced eye may be relie'd on to select 

 a future winner at the trot or pace ? Can we find, in other words, some 

 standard shape or measurement of certain parts, without which highest 

 speed will be impossible ? Perhaps no other subject in the breeder's 

 realm brings forward such opposing forces as the proposition just ad- 

 vanced nor can we say that either side is wholly in the wrong. Laws 

 of motion, gravity and projectile speed, and strength by leverage of 

 inert matter, have been investigated, and are fairly known ; but when 

 applied to life and vital action something else must be considered, and 

 the strongest rule, as based on theory of motion, may be proved only 

 by the plain exceptions found. To say that quality and speed in trot- 

 ters can be determined by the tape-line to a certainty would be absurd 

 at best ; but we may be able often to reject the horse that lacks capacity 

 to trot at speed, and thus save time and spare ourselves the disappoint- 

 ment certain to result from training trotters that can never trot. Bear 

 in mind that best of form must not be taken as a guaranty of speed at 

 either trot or pace; but this much may be said with certainty, if he 

 lack the form demanded, he may be fast and game, may even trot well 

 down among the lower 'teens' in seconds ; but the records of the world 

 will never be in danger, and the mark he does attain will be due to skill 

 in training or to mental impulse, and cannot be credited to shape or 

 trotting leverage. 



" Severe exertion of the muscles, long continued, is only possible 

 when the lungs are free in ample chest room. This we find best illus- 

 trated in the Thoroughbred or running horse ; and here comes in an 

 argument for the use of running blood in breeding trotters, which so 

 many hold in favor. The highbred horse the Thoroughbred excels 

 in this respect beyond all question, and the trotter that can stand the 

 strain of long heat races must show the lung development of a Thor- 

 oughbred, with the dilating nostrils and the clean-fleshed throat that 

 indicate the perfect freedom of the breath. 



" The muscles of the leg, aside from leverage, which depends on 

 length of bone, must be developed to the point of balanced tension, 

 and especially be trained to work at all times absolutely under brain 

 control. 



" The leverage of motion in the horse rests almost solely in the 

 quarters, front and rear. Front leverage (see illustration) is perhaps of 

 lesser moment, from the fact that the main propelling power comes 

 from rear development ; but the trotting leverage in front is still of great 

 importance, since by it alone we may determine reach and stroke, or 

 smoothness of the stride. From a mechanical point of view the lever- 

 age in front presents an interesting double or compound lever, lifting of 



