CHAPTER XII. 



How to train the trotter and keep him in good fettle — His mouth the first thing 

 to be looked after — An experience with Fanny Witherspoon — Don't pull a 

 horse, and he will not pull you — Overfeeding and its consequences — Give 

 water at all times — The groom must be neat in appearance and not a drink- 

 ing man — Too many blankets a bad idea — Some points about boots — The 

 use of pads and sponges — Mambrino Sparkle's bad feet, and the great races 

 she trotted — Why clipping is beneficial — Work in the early spring — Teach- 

 ing trotters to score well — Sulkies, road-carts, timing- watches, etc. 



The first tliiug in training a horse is to make a careful 

 study of the animal, learning all his peculiarities, faults, 

 weaknesses, habits, etc. I think one vital mistake made by 

 men training horses is that they do not seem to think that 

 horses are made of flesh and blood, and very nearly human 

 in all their ways. 



The first thing to be looked after in a horse, is his mouth, 

 for two reasons: In the first place, the mouth is used for a 

 double purpose, to drive the horse by, and to eat, two very 

 essential things in a race-horse. In a race, if you beat the 

 other man a head, you win the money; if he beats you a head, 

 he takes the money, so that your whole year' s work may be 

 decided for or against you by the length of a horse's head. 

 If two horses are in a race, equal in every particular as to 

 speed, etc., and one of them is a disagreeable driver and 

 can not be entirely controlled, and the other one i)erfectly 

 controllable to tlie wilUof his driver, easy to manage, and 

 quiciv to respond to every touch of the bit, that horse will 

 win tlie money every time. I simply state this to show that 

 in horse training it is the small things that make or unmake 

 the success of the liorse and trainer. Some horses naturally 



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