THE TROTTING-IIORSE OF AMERICA. 101 



Fligli-struug, generous horses are apt to want to do more 

 work and to do it faster than is good for them ; anrl thirt 

 frequently misleads inexperienced persons, who seeing them 

 all on fire to go, and never satisfied unless suffered to cut 

 loose, imagine that it can do no harm to indulge them when 

 they feel so fine. These are just the horses that require to 

 be watched narrowly, and taken in hand; for their 

 exuberant spirits and eagerness to perform are not often 

 accompanied with the power to keep on and stand up under 

 a severe preparation at such a rate. On the other hand, 

 there are others lazily inclined, but requiring a great 

 amount of work to make them fit. These are commonly 

 able to bear as much as it is deemed necessary to give them 

 and they must be wakened up from time to time, so as to 

 make them get out of their sluggish habit and square 

 away. 



As the training goes on, the improvement in the condi- 

 tion of each horse is to be carefully watched and noted, so 

 that the time when it will be safe and useful to give the 

 first trial may be observed. Those that were in stable 

 condition at the commencement of the preparation will be 

 ready for this test before the ones that were turned out ; 

 but no rule can be laid down as to the amount of work the 

 horse ought to have before the trial may be ventured on. 

 His condition as he appears while at work, and during and 

 after his speedy brushes, is to be the guide by which the 

 trainer's judgment in this matter must be directed. During 

 the fast work, preparatory to the coming trial, the horse 

 will have been put upon his largest allowance of strong 

 food. Some will not eat more than eight or ten quarts 

 of oats a day ; and it is necessary to be very vigilant and 

 careful that these light feeders are not over-marked in 

 work. Twelve or thirteen quarts is about what a good 

 feeder ought to have. Some will eat sixteen quarts of oats 

 a day, but my belief is that three quarts of it does more 

 h'irm than good. With such an extraordinary consumj)- 



