300 LIFE WITH THE TROTTEKS. 



manner, but with very little satisfaction, as she seemed to 

 continually have trouble with her mouth. In talking the 

 matter over with my friend Hickok, he advised that I try 

 her with a check bit, side check, and nose-band attachment. 

 I did so, and had Mr. J, H. Fenton make me a bridle ac- 

 cording to Hickolv s suggestion, the same as the one he wore 

 on St. Julien, and in the shortest time imaginable the mare 

 showed a very marked improvement in h r driving. I think 

 a horse should never be checked on the bit you drive him 

 with; always have an extra check bit in his mouth. For 

 bits, I find that most all horses drive well on an ordinary 

 size snaffle bit covered with rubber. I do not mean what 

 they call patent bits with guttapercha covering. I take a 

 steel bit, have it nickel-plated to prevent it from rusting, 

 take a p)iece of white rubber hose, and have my harness- 

 maker cover the bit with it. Manufacturers tell me there is 

 nothing about the white hose that is disagreeable to the taste 

 of the horse, while there is in the patent covering. I also 

 cover the check bit in the same manner. A great many 

 j)eople who break colts, I imagine, do not realize how inj- 

 portant a part this is in a horse's education, as a majority of 

 them never drive a race in their lives. They seem to think 

 that if the colt is broken so he won't jumj) the fence or Idck 

 you out of the sulky that is all that is necessary. Years 

 ago, when I was a boy and lived on a faim I saw more jDains 

 taken with a hundred dollar colt in breaking him than I see 

 now sometimes with a colt that the owner expects to get 

 thousands of dollars for. I have found that with horses that 

 have disagreeable habits of pulling on one rein, etc., it is a 

 grand idea to put a bitting harness on them, and turn them 

 loose in a large stall or j)addock. Do not check them high 

 enough to make them fight the bit, nor leave it on long enough 

 to tire them. The oftener you put it on in that manner, the 

 better. It is an easy matter in winter when they are not in 

 training to put it on them a couple of times a day. 



We have now discussed the pulling question from the 

 horse's standpoint; the other side, the trainer and driver, 



