breeders of the vicinity, and as the saddle and pacing 

 gaits are the ones generally desired in the country dis- 

 tricts, the horses are shown under saddle ; first show- 

 ing the saddle gaits, such as the fox trot, running walk, 

 single foot and canter, and then they will go up the 

 road a few hundred yards and pace down to a given 

 point, and sometimes these horses will show a great 

 turn of speed. I think one of the best exhibitions of 

 riding and speeding under saddle I ever remember to 

 have witnessed was at Lebanon, when I was a boy. 

 On one of these days, in the spring of the year, there 

 were a number of stallions exhibited, among them 

 being a gray or white pacing stallion, called Mountain 

 Slasher, a horse well known to Tennesseeans. This 

 horse was shown.by William Goldston, one of the best 

 riders and horsemen in the State. After the horses 

 had shown their saddle gaits they all went up the road 

 several hundred yards to pace down. When they 

 were ready, Goldston placed the riding whip in his 

 mouth, dropped the bridle rein on Slasher's neck, 

 placed his hands on his hips and, with arms akimbo, 

 started with the others ; and on they came, Goldston 

 sitting as erect as a piece of statuary, and every little 

 while sticking the spurs into the sides of Slasher, who 

 with the reins lying loose on his neck, and without 

 anything to steady him except his inherent pacing in- 

 stinct, regardless of stones and the rough uneven sur- 

 face, never broke his true even pace, and clearly out- 

 paced all his competitors and carried off the laurels of 

 the day. I mention this incident mainly to show how 

 intensely the pacing instinct is instilled in the pacing 

 horses of Tennessee, and how difficult it has been to 

 convert them to trotting. From the time the colt is 

 old enough to stand he knows nothing but pace, and 



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