QUALIFICATIONS FOB A DKIVE3J. 423 



two changed tlie result in the trials, is very general. That 

 weight will equalize horses, is shown by the result of the 

 handicaps in England; though the difference necessary to 

 bring a good horse and a poor one together should con- 

 vince people, that the old notion of seven pounds being 

 equal to two hundred and forty yards in four miles is a 

 mistake. Eight or ten pounds, over the regular weight, in 

 a sulky would make a very slight distinction, depending 

 even then a good deal on the state of the track. The ad- 

 ditional friction of a vehicle with four wheels, causes quite 

 a gap in a mile with most horses, though I think this de- 

 pends a good deal on the fact that the wagon covers more 

 ground than the sulky, and therefore is not so easily 

 handled. In going round a turn, the centrifugal force 

 operates prejudicially, and the hind wheels are thrown in 

 such a position that they have to slide as well as revolve. 

 Weight in the wagon there, then, would be more felt, as 

 the heavier the vehicle is, the greater is the tendency to 

 fly from the centre. So I do not think there is much 

 necessity for placing the muzzle on you; and so long as 

 you do not eat too much, so as to effect the free workings 

 of the wheels of the mind, you need not be restricted. 



There are other qualifications required to make a good 

 driver, that are fully as essential as skill in handling a 

 horse; one great requisite being coolness of temper, and 

 another the power of judging quickly, and taking advan- 

 tage of circumstances arising from the varying changes of 

 the race. I will not dilate on this point, till I see how you 

 deport yourself next week, when I can give advice that 

 will be appropriate, and better understood, as the exigen- 

 cies of the case demand our attention. 



Now for the trial, which is to determine the chances we 

 imagine the horses will have when pitted against a field, 

 each one comprising it doing his best to win. I must again 

 warn you of the danger there will be in taking the time 



