TROTTING RACES. 93 
of the art, “is of the utmost importance: it is all in 
all. Some men inspire it readily, so that a horse 
will take hold and do all he knows the first time the 
man drives him. For another man the same horse 
will not trot a yard. ‘The truth is that the horse is 
a very knowing, sagacious creature, much more so 
than he gets credit for. If a driver has no settled 
system of his own, or if he is rash or severe without. 
cause, it is not likely that contidence will be inspired 
in the horse, even in a long time.” 
It is a fact often remarked, that some drivers suc- 
ceed much better with certain equine families than 
with others, the reason doubtless being that they are 
better adapted to them in disposition. A trainer, 
for example, who did very well with a well known 
high-spirited and wilful breed failed conspicuously 
with another strain, of a milder and more gentle 
nature. 
There are, indeed, some boisterous drivers, but 
they are not the most successful; in fact, the 
quality of a horseman can almost be discovered by 
observing the manner in which he goes up to the 
animal’s head or enters his stall. The loud, rough 
fellow may be a judge of soundness, and fairly well 
qualified for the box seat of a hack; but he is not 
the man for a close finish with a tired horse, when 
victory depends upon calling out the last reserve of ° 
strength; nor will he make the successful trainer of 
a high-strung colt. The trotter, moreover, cannot 
be convinced by mere noise and violence: he is much 
too clever an animal for that, and will hardly be 
cheated into thinking that the jockey possesses any 
quality which he really lacks. But when a driver 
