CHAPTER XV. 



The trotting interest one that extends throughout the land and is growing every 

 year — Famous road riders of New York City and elsewhere — Commodore 

 Vanderbilt's present to his spiritual adviser — Robert Bonner and his sons, 

 the Rockefellers, Mr. Frank Work, and others — Men in other cities who 

 love the trotter for the pleasure and health they derive from driving — Some 

 hints about the purchase and care of a road horse — Decide just what you 

 want the animal for, and then use him for that purpose only — Don't expect 

 your gardener to also be capable of taking good care of your road horses — A 

 few practical suggestions that will commend themselves to all owners of 

 horses. 



I have often heard it said that the interests in thorough- 

 bred horses in America would gradually overshadow trotting 

 interests, but I hardly think so, as in the lirst place a thor- 

 oughbred horse is only useful for two purposes — for breeding 

 and racing. As a road horse, a thorougli»bred has never been 

 considered a success. I can buy a better road horse for $250, 

 trotting bred, than the best race -horse in America would 

 make. The love of a trotter is bom with the American. It 

 is not an acquired taste in any way; as soon as a boy is able 

 to walk he wants a horse, and for awhile he has to content 

 himself with a hobby horse. When he grows to manhood, 

 if he is in j)osition to do so, he gets himself a trotter, either 

 to drive on the road, or for turf purposes. 



The best reason why the people never lose interest in trot- 

 ters is not the fact of their being used on the turf, as the 

 percentage of men who own the trotting horse for titirf pur- 

 poses is very small in comparison with a large number of 

 people who use him for pleasure. In most every city and 

 village of this country there are people who own trotting 

 horses for private use; horses that are able to go all the way 



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