140 EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 



open him out to see if he has his speed ; then take him in, re- 

 move harness and boots, cooling out as though it was a heat 

 in the race. Keep your eye on your watch, so that you may 

 have your horse ready to go out on time when the bell rings, 

 as that keeps the judges' association and spectators in good 

 nature and good feeling towards you. 



One of the greatest drawbacks in trotting races is the 

 delay in getting out, frequent scoring and Miss Nancy work, 

 generally, it carries the race many times into darkness or over 

 to the next day, and people go home growling and dissatisfied, 

 and say I will never go to a trotting race again. I have often- 

 thought if there could be some rule adopted so three-fourths 

 of this preliminary delay could be abolished, it would 

 popularize trotting races more than any one thing that could 

 be done, and there would be ten spectators where there is 

 only one now. When you are called lead your horse out to 

 the track, get in your sulky, drive to the judge's stand, and 

 have them assign your position, then score your horse up 

 once or twice. Then go up with the other horses and turn in 

 your place, and get the word the first time if possible and 

 drive the heat to the best of your ability and the good of 

 your horse. There is an old saying, that plenty of speed and 

 a good actor makes a good driver, but that don't always win 

 a race, though he may have a good horse. 



In order to be a good driver in a race, it is necessary to 

 be ready at all times to take advantage'' of some unforseen 

 circumstance that may arise at any time, and be ready to 

 turn it to one's benefit on the instant it occurs. It is neces- 

 sary for a man to be level-headed and a good judge of human 

 nature as well as of horses. Drivers do not as a general 

 thing proclaim to the whole field or to the public what their 

 intentions are, but actions sometimes speak louder than 

 words, and a man must be able to judge by them what the 

 tactics of his competitors are, and be ready at all times to 

 take advantage of their acts at a second's notice, as I have 

 had many times in a race, a driver move along up to me when 



