54 EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 



had ever went a mile before. We were both pleased, and 

 when he drove off he said, '• Good morning; when you want 

 me again you know where I live." He never bothered me 

 any more, that is wanting to see his horse worked. He sold 

 him right away at a good price to be driven on the road. I 

 have always thought if he had continued training he would 

 have made a good horse. I have made it a rule ever since if 

 I had a man's horse in training and he wanted to hold a watch 

 on him every da)' or two, that the sooner I sent that horse 

 home the better, because it -would lead to unkind words be- 

 tween his owner and myself, as the horse would not do well. 

 I would know the cause, but I could not make him think as 

 I did about it. I have even had horses for people, years ago, 

 when they would see me joging them on the road, would say 

 to a bystander or friend, " I don't pay that man for driving 

 that horse on the road ; I could do that myself ; I pay him 

 for driving him on the track," and the man would be con- 

 scientious, perhaps a good fellow, and liberal minded, but not 

 having any experience with horses, and never having read any 

 work of instruction on training horses, was entirely ignorant 

 how a horse should be handled to improve his speed. If a 

 trainer would follow his wishes his horse would be in about 

 the shape of the horse referred to above. So }'ou see every 

 man to his business, and we will live and learn. I learn some- 

 thing nearly every day about a horse, either from my own ob- 

 servation or a word dropped perhaps from a stable boy, but 

 the idea was a good one, and I would adopt it as quick as if 

 it came from Hiram Woodruff, the great Dan Mace, or Doble, 

 as many cases of improvement in horses is as much due to the 

 man having the care of them in the stable as to the man-who 

 drives them. It is just as necessary that they should be well 

 cared for after their work as it is to drive them well. A good 

 and successful trainer is one that watches his horses' as close 

 and careful in the stable as they would watch his gait when 

 driving him on the track. Many men who arc left in charge 

 of good horses are not fit to luu'c charge of a mule. Many 



