300 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



did in het life." This instance is believed to be the only one 

 in trotting annals in which a horse "wobbled" during the 

 entire heat. 



Woodruff, Hiram Washing-ton. Born at Birming- 

 ham, N. J., February 22, 1817 ; died at Jamaica Plains, Long 

 Island, N. Y., March 15, 1867. He trained and drove Flora 

 Temple, Dutchman, Topgallant, Paul Pry, Lady Suffolk, Ajax, 

 Hector and Dexter. Author of a treatise on training and 

 driving, entitled " The Trotting Horse of America." " He 

 carried the American trotting horse triumphantly over the 

 gap which lies between 2:40 and 2:18." 



Word, The. The magic word " go," given to the field 

 by the starter. Drivers " get the word ; " the starting judge 

 <' gives the word." 



Work ; Work-out. Training ; the art of putting a 

 horse in condition for a race ; more or less exercise for the 

 purpose of fitting the horse to go to the extreme point of his 

 speed capacity. The amount of work must invariably be reg- 

 ulated by the age, condition and peculiar characteristics of the 

 horse, and for this no fixed rules can be given; individual 

 experience must be the only guide. 



In training, the trouble yon will find it very hard to fight against will 

 be the tendency to give too much work. You w^ill like to see your 

 colt go another brush, and when he is going fast and true you will 

 hate to stop liim. Development ceases when you get out the last 

 link. The brush should never extend beyond tlie point where you 

 do not believe he can be improved witli the next step. AVlien a 

 horse tires he loses control of his legs and feet, in a great measure, 

 and if weighted the trouble is aggravated. He breaks, he falters in 

 his gait, strikes himself, goes to hitching, hobbling— anytliing to 

 rest himself — and, as a natural consequence of this work, goes back 

 in Ids speed, and loses precision in action.— Training the Trotting 

 Horse, Charles Marvin. 



I worked my horse out about three days before the race, and then and 

 there decided to back him and try to beat Goldsmith Maid. * * * 

 The first tiling to do, in working a horse, is to teach him to score. 

 * * * Instead of driving him one mile in 2:30, drive him a two 

 mile heat in 5:20; that would be each mile in 2:40, whicli would 

 condition his body and help to strengthen his weak legs. I think a 

 day's work like this given him once a week, with moderate jogging 

 the balance of the time and a little opening-out the day before you 

 want to work him again, will be all that will be necessary for liim 

 to have. The nearer you get to your race, the shorter work the 

 horse should iiave; that is, instead of giving him four or five heats, 

 give him two or Ihree, with oc(!asional brushes at nearly the top of 

 his speed.— Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 



Working Gait. Half speed. " The tendency, in most 

 training, is to overwork," says Mr. Splan, " but if trainers con- 

 fine themselves to a working gait it will be almost impossible 

 to overwork a horse." What would be a working gait for one 

 horse, however, would not for another; as a 2:10 horse could 

 be worked at a much faster gait than a 2:30 horse. It is 

 entirely a matter of individuality on the part of the horse, and 

 one in which the driver must be governed largely by experience. 



