242 TRAINING THE TROTTING HORSE. 



trainers seem to think differently, there is no develop- 

 ment in jogging. Its only object is to get the horse 

 ready to trot — a sort of preliminary exercise to gradu- 

 ally warm up the blood, nnlimber the joints, and get 

 the whole organization pitched to the point of action. 



I have said once or twice already that a young horse 

 can be worked twice a day to advantage if it is neces- 

 sary to start him young, or give him an early prepara- 

 tion. A youngster will tire slightly, lay down and 

 rest, and be in a few hours refreshed, where an old 

 horse will not rest thoroughly until night. So, until a 

 colt is two years old you can work him twice a day, if 

 necessary, with good results. The oftener he gets his 

 work the quicker he will learn. Two short lessons are 

 better than one long one. This semi-daily work may 

 likewise be given older horses until they can trot fast 

 enough to make work severe. You will ap])reciate the 

 fact that the faster a horse goes the more work he will 

 take in a certain time. So when your horse increases 

 to a high rate of speed you will not keep him on the 

 track so long as when he works slower. For instance, 

 if your three-year-old can trot quarters in thirty-five or 

 thirt3^-six seconds, you take him out, warm him, and 

 when ready you give him five or six brushes fast, 

 finishing each brush strong. If you will calculate a 

 moment you will see that you have given him really 

 more work and faster work, than if you had worked 

 him a mile, and repeat, and he has been taught to go 

 at a higher rate. 



The trouble you will find it very hard to fight 

 against will be, let me say again, the tendency to give 

 the colt too much. You will fike to see him go another 



