82 THE HORSE 



It is true that the fast pacer of to-day carries a 

 large proportion of the blood of the thoroughbred, 

 which is an indispensable part of his make-up, but 

 no breeder would now resort to a further thorough- 

 bred cross. At one time a class of theorists advo- 

 cated the production of fast trotters and pacers by a 

 continual crossing of trotters and pacers, but it is 

 now only remembered as an amusing vagary. As an 

 illustration of what follies a spirit of controversy may 

 lead an otherwise sane man into, the case may be 

 cited of a prominent writer on breeding topics fifteen 

 or twenty years ago, who used to argue that pacing 

 and trotting were "two different manifestations of the 

 same gait." 



While all must admit the success of the effort to 

 breed fast pacers for the track, it cannot be con- 

 tended that in point of usefulness it could not claim 

 higher credit were the pacer more suited to the gen- 

 eral wants of the people. The highest art of the 

 breeder may alike be shown in the production of 

 tumbler pigeons and beef cattle, while the importance 

 of the work will allow of no comparison. A parallel 

 is found in the vast rivalry among naval architects 

 in the endeavor to produce the fastest sailing yacht 

 whose use is confined to the cup races. 



It seems to be demonstrated that the pace is nat- 

 urally a faster gait than the trot, to the extent of 

 several seconds in the mile. The reason for this is an 

 interesting question. The record of Dan Patch (Fig. 

 12), the champion pacer, is 1:56, while that of Lou 

 Dillon, the fastest trotter, is 1:58%, two and a half 



