CHAPTER XII. 



How to train the trotter and keep him in good fettle — His mouth the first thing 

 to be looked after — An experience with Fanny Witherspoon — Don't pull a 

 horse, and he will not pull you — Overfeeding and i s consequences — Give 

 water at all times — The groom must be neat in appearance and not a drink- 

 ing man — Too many blankets a bad idea — Some points about boots — The 

 use of pads and sponges — IMambrino Sparkle's bad feet, and the great races 

 she trotted — Why clipping is beneficial — Work in the early spring — Teach- 

 ing trotters to score well — Sulkies, road-carts, timing-watches, etc. 



The first tiling in training a horse is to make a careful 

 study of the animal, learning all his peculiarities, faults, 

 weaknesses,' habits, etc. I think one vital mistake made by 

 men training horses is that they do not seem to think that 

 horses are made of flesh and blood, and very nearly human 

 in all their ways. 



The first thing to be looked after in a horse, is his mouth, 



for two reasons: In the first place, the mouth is used for a 



double purpose, to drive the horse .by, and to eat, tv/o very 



essential things in a race-horse. In a race, if you beat the 



other man a head, you win the money; if he beats you a head, 



he takes the money, so that your wliole year' s work may be 



decided for or against you by the length of a horse' s head. 



If two horses are in a race, equal in every particular as to 



speed, etc., and one of them is a disagreeable driver and 



can not be entirely controlled, and the other one perfectly 



controllable to the Avill of his driver, easy to manage, and 



quick to respond to every touch of the bit, that horse will 



win the money every time. I simply state this to show that 



in horse training it is the small things that make or unmake 



the success of the horse and trainer. Some horses naturally 



^298) 



