324 TRAINING THE TROTTING HORSE. 



straight-line trotters. They do not have to "square 

 away " or " strike a position " to get up speed. Asa 

 rule they are close-gaited ; and very few indeed are of 

 that class that are called " open-gaited." The majority 

 of them do not throw the hind foot outside of the fore 

 foot in trotting, but, on the line-trotting principle, "go 

 under." They do not have to go a mile or so to get 

 untangled ; they trot low, have no waste action, and 

 gather speed quickly and smoothl^^ 



The statement so often made by those who know 

 little about them, that the Electioneers are not game 

 horses, sounds very absurd to one who knows how 

 easily they trot, how great is their natural speed, and 

 how^ perfect!}^ they are balanced, canying little or no 

 weight. The same charge has been made against all 

 families, and perhaps it is not worth repelling ; but I 

 may claim to know the Electioneers as well as any 

 man, and as campaigners they are good enough for me. 

 They are good feeders, cheerful dispositioned horses, 

 that take their work well, and have the quality of 

 race-horses. I consider them, in this respect, the equal 

 of any of our trotting families. I have seen horses 

 that lacked heart, and I have trained a faint-hearted 

 horse, but I have yet to see the first Electioneer against 

 which the charge can in justice be made. Wildflower 

 and Manzanita were not bred from mares that would 

 popularly be expected to throw -game performers, but 

 a gamer mare than "Wildflower never looked through 

 a bridle. She would respond to every call to the last 

 inch of her capacity. The same is true of Manzanita. 

 She trotted frequently when out of condition, but when 

 anyw^here near at herself no horse of her age could 



