LESSORS IN BKEAKIKG. 375 



evening. The feeds occuring before the work, cannot Be 

 materially enlarged, without causing over-fullness in the 

 stomach just when required to go fast. Clipper should be 

 ready for his first sweat by the time I come back, and you 

 need make no change in his preparation from that of Never 

 Mind, with this variation, of not giving quite so much 

 walk, which his legs would not stand without injury. I 

 have mentioned that I would prefer them not to break 

 for a time yet, and the only way you can keep them from 

 doing that, is to leave quite a margin between the pace 

 you go and their best rate. Horses will break when not 

 near up to their fastest gait. Yet you will find them easier 

 controlled, than when hurried off their legs by endeavor- 

 ing to have them trot faster than they can. I have known 

 many horses that would "jump up" when going moder- 

 ately fast, that were honest as could be when going at full 

 speed. The great part of the education of trotters is to 

 teach them to go without breaking, and when they do 

 break, to be able to recover therefrom without the loss of 

 much ground. These lessons however, must be given as 

 much as is possible when the body is in condition to 

 endure extra fatigue; and, necessary as they are, we shall 

 gain by waiting until we can give them safely. These re- 

 marks will only apply to the old horses, ^ith-the colts, now 

 is the time to teach them a good system of breaking. The 

 first lessons are of great importance, and if you succeed 

 in making good breakers of them now, it will take 

 very bad handing hereafter to spoil them in this re- 

 spect. 



Every morning before you commence work, examine 

 critically the condition of the horses' feet. Observe if they 

 stand squarely on them in the stable, and see that there 

 are no loose shoes, clinches raised, or breaking of the 

 horn. The replacing of a broken nail may save a shoe 

 coming off, and, perhaps, tearing part of the foot with 



