294 TRAINING THE TROTTING HORSE. 



bing his employer. I am for honesty in the sulky, 

 first, last, and all the time. 



If you are confronted with the possible situations 

 which I have indicated, or throw a shoe, or meet with 

 other mishap, w^here it is necessary to lay up one or 

 more heats, do it right. If you drop so far back in the 

 first quarter or half that you will have to drive fast in 

 the last half to save your distance, you have not gained 

 anything. Get away w^ell with the field and drop 

 back gradually, say about twenty yards in each quar- 

 ter, so that you will land safely inside the distance flag 

 after going an eas}^, evenly rated mile well within your 

 horse's capacity at every stride. I have seen very 

 clever "generalship" result in laying up heats so 

 neatly that the flag fell in front in place of behind the 

 horse, and that is, I should judge, rather annoying. 

 Sometimes "generalship" and "jockey ship" may win 

 the race, but I advise the 3^oung trainer to trust neither 

 to his own "smartness" nor to "luck," but rather to 

 the speed and condition of his horse. That is w^hat 

 wins races. 



Drivers are born, not made, and it is impossible to 

 teach a man so that he can get up behind a horse and 

 drive him well unless he has the natural gift ; and only 

 this, with experience, makes a good driver. You want 

 a steady, firm hand, and yet a light one. You want a 

 firm hand, but not a rigid, unyielding one, for a certain 

 ease is necessary to give the horse confidence. If the 

 driver be nervous and unsteady the horse will soon 

 know it, and his steadiness will be affected by it. 

 ISTever take more hold on the horse than is necessary 

 to give him confidence and to hold him steady and 



