270 HORSE PORTRAITURE. 



thinks best. Between the heats of a race there is not the 

 same opportunity. "We aim to have the horse ready to 

 resume the contest after a stipulated interval of time, 

 which is greatly prolonged by the difficulty in obtaining 

 a start. The horses rush to the score at their best speed; 

 one is pulled up on the turn ; another goes a full quarter 

 of a mile, and others are either overworked or become 

 chilled, waiting for the line to be re-formed. 



The duties of men who judge trotting-races are very 

 onerous, and the situation is one of great discomfort, not 

 the least of which is, the trouble of starting the horses, 

 originating from the perversity of the drivers. The judges 

 being anxious to give every one a good send-off, try time 

 after time to start them all so level that there will be no 

 room for censure. The drivers aware of this make a great 

 display of jogging up the stretch, and working for an ad- 

 vantage as they come to the wire. Many of them are not 

 contented with an even start, hoping by delay the patience 

 of the judges will become worn out, and they will finally 

 get an advantage in the send-off. I think some of these 

 fellows like to make a display of themselves before the 

 occupants of the stands, and that vanity is their ruling 

 passion. In days of yore, when gorgeous livery was worn, 

 and satin, velvet, and silk, embroidered with gold and sil- 

 ver lace, shone in the brightest colors, there might be an 

 excuse for wanting to show their new clothes " with but- 

 tons all over them." But now-a-days, when the shirt 

 sleeves are considered the most appropriate costume to 

 drive a race in, this cannot be the cause. They must 

 want to show their beauty of face and form, and thereby 

 captivate the fancy of some of the blooming damsels that 

 grace the course with thek presence. There are many 

 trotting-horse drivers that I have never seen, yet, if there 

 be an Adonis among them, I will give more to see him pa- 

 raded than I would to see the eighth wonder of the world. 



