LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 823 



and almost instantly you will see he shows a disposition to 

 want to catch. Most horses will catch better by swinging 

 them slightly to one side. Find out which way you think 

 the horse catches the best and every time he breaks pull 

 liim exactly the same way and use the same language to him, 

 and an ordinarily intelligent horse will soon learn to look 

 for it, and if there is any way for it and if there is any way 

 to teach him to make a good catch I think that is the way. 

 Always try to teach a horse to catch on the inside rein, for 

 if you were going round the turn in the lead and someone 

 trailing and he should break obliging you to pull your horse 

 on the outside rein your opponent might slip through be- 

 tween you and the fence and beat you the heat where he 

 would not be able to go round you and do it. Then too if 

 you are head-and-head with a man he ndght, when your 

 horse broke, crowd you in so close that you would be unable 

 to pull him to the outside without I'unning into him, whereas 

 if he caught on the left rein you would have no trouble. If 

 you are fortunate enough to have a horse that is a first-class 

 breaker never let him or make him break in a race unless it 

 is a case of life and death. If he is continually breaking the 

 public and judges will get down on him, and he will some- 

 times be punished when he does not really deserve it. Mam- 

 brino Sparkle was as good a breaker as I ever saw. In her 

 campaign with me she made, I think, four breaks. One of 

 those I caused her to make, and it won her the deciding heat 

 of a race. I guess Van Ness remembers the circumstance. 



