254 TRAINING THE TKOTTING HORSE. 



best results will follow the use of not only pure water, 

 but the same water all the thne if possible. I have 

 observed tiiat a horse does best with his home water. 

 He acquires a taste for it, and is quick to detect the 

 difference of the water he is offered away from home. 

 It may seem the same to the trainer, may be chemi- 

 cally the same, but the horse will detect a difference. 

 This only illustrates one of the thousand little influ- 

 ences that may interfere with the trainer's work. The 

 water should be of average temperature, and never 

 given when ver^/ cold. 



Eeferring to the quality of food, and the influence of 

 climate, a little digression may be pardoned in order 

 to speak of our California advantages .and disadvan- 

 tages in training and keeping horses. 



First let me declare briefly that the climatic advan- 

 tages of California are much exaggerated by many. 

 We can grow colts more rajDidly than any other sec- 

 tion, for they are never chilled, never feel the stunting 

 influence of wintry skies, but live in a land of warmth 

 and sunshine. The usual time of foaling in California 

 is about the most favorable of the year, when the 

 grasses are at their best, and the youngster gets a 

 start in life which sends him right along. Neverthe- 

 less, I believe I can go to Kentucky and have better 

 results in the end, in spite of the fact that many of the 

 Eastern people attribute all our success to climate. My 

 horses have generally been better in the East in 

 summer than at home. Our winters are superb — 

 barring the rainy season — for training, but the draw- 

 back comes in the dry, parching summer, when the 

 grass, in a great p^rt of the State, is dried up. It is 



