334 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



lieat there. As a rule most men rush out and try to win the 

 first heat in a posti)oned race. I have tried laying up a few 

 times, and always with good success. If you are in a race 

 and have no chance to win see how careful you can be with 

 your horse and how little use you can make of him. In that 

 way he may be good enough to win the next race where he 

 would nt)t be if you gave him a bruising contest in which he 

 had no chance to win. Never take a chance of straining 

 your horse unless you are obliged to. 



While trotting a race if the track has become muddy be 

 sure and have on your mud shoes, which you should 

 always have fitted to the horse before you start on your 

 campaign, and in that way when you need them you will 

 need only to have them nailed on, which any blacksmith 

 can do with little trouble. Always be sure to have in your 

 outfit blacksmith's tools enough to take off or put on a 

 shoe at any time; and also have an assorted lot of Putnam 

 nails. They have been thoroughly tested and have proven 

 themselves without a doubt the best nails you can use. 

 You may think that the nails in a shoe do not amount to 

 much, but if you use one or two worthless nails they may 

 break off, and if the horse loses his shoe in the deciding 

 heat, you will be very apt to lose your ip.oney along with 

 the shoe. 



Do not be afraid to give your horse plenty to eat during 

 a long, hard race. I do not think that at such times hay 

 does a horse much good. He wants something more stim- 

 ulating. To my mind oatmeal gruel is one of the best things 

 I ever tried. A couple of hours before the race take your 

 oatmeal and pour boiling water on it; then let it stand until 

 it is thoroughly cooled, and in that way you will get all 

 the strength out of the oatmeal and secure a very pleasant 

 drink for your horse. I think a few oats between heats 

 very good for horses. The best thing in the way of a stim- 

 ulant I ever tried for a horse was cliami)agne and Seltzer 

 water. Take a pint of champagne and half a pint of Seltzer 

 water; give that to your horse when he is tired and you 



