VI EDITOR S PREFACE. 



In January, 1889, I visited Palo Alto for the pur- 

 pose of assisting Mr. Marvin in the preparation of the 

 material for this work ; and remained with him three 

 months studying his methods by day, and writing from 

 his dictation for several hours each evening. 



In preparing the book for the press the aim has been 

 in the simplest and most faithful phrase to record Mr. 

 Marvin's ideas, mstructions and explanations in his 

 own plain manner. The endeavor has been to write a 

 book in such simple and clear English that ever}^ stable- 

 bo}^ who aspires to be a trainer may read understand- 

 ingly ; and at the same time we hope that the breeders 

 and the most intelligent trotting-horsemen of all classes 

 in the land wnll find in its pages something of interest 

 and of instruction. 



An apology is due the public for the delay in pub- 

 lishing the work, and I wish to say that for that delay 

 I am alone responsible. The work of preparing the 

 material for the press was many times greater than I 

 anticipated, and was a labor, but a pleasant one, under- 

 taken in connection with other duties that of them- 

 selves should sufficiently employ one man's time. Time, 

 like the horses, seems to go faster in California than 

 elsewhere. I cannot recall any period in life more 

 pleasant than the three bright, delightful months of 

 congenial work, congenial companionship and congenial 

 surroundings at Palo Alto, and the daj^s flew by on 

 hurrying wings. Still the "raAv material" gathered 



