2tl:Tt TRAINIXG THE TROTTING HORSE. 



races I will be more specific on this, but here, again, 

 wish to put the trainer on guard. I have driven a 

 three-year-old, in a race in 2:22, that never trotted a 

 mile in 2:30 before. If you have the speed, and the 

 colt is in good condition, he will trot you a good mile 

 when asked, if driven and rated Avith fair judgment. 

 Do not exhaust the youngster in moonlight trials — 

 save the energy you would thus expend until race-day. 

 You may want it. I consider there is no error more 

 common and more grievous than the belief that the 

 way to condition a horse for a race is to drive 

 him and repeat him day after day right up close 

 to his limit. You will find tliat wlien you begin to 

 work the colt miles, preparatory to a race, he will lose 

 some of his speed, even with the most careful working. 

 AVith the fast mile-and-repeat business, as usually car- 

 ried out, he cannot but lose his speed to a great degree. 

 On race-day you want all the speed you can command, 

 and you can have that and have the ability to go fast 

 miles too b}^ working on the moderate plan outlined in 

 the chapters on Sunol, and on preparation for races in 

 this book. 



Though my object in w^riting this book is chiefi}^ to 

 deal with the training of young horses, that training 

 differs only in degree from the manner in which, in 

 my estimation, older horses should be worked. Sup- 

 pose a man brings you a five-year-old horse to work for 

 speed — a regular green one — soft and out of shape. 

 You cannot start him up right away, but after 

 getting his feet in shape, shod and " hung " right, 

 you need not waste all summer in slow jogging before 

 you do anything. Horses differ so in temperament 



