LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 333 



if they think you will stand it. Give tliem to understand 

 that you know what your rights are and that you are bound 

 to have them at any and all times. In that way you are 

 not liable to have much trouble with the boys building 

 fences to try and stop you from going through, etc. 



If it comes to a long race and it is postponed from dark- 

 ness or any other cause you will find there is no time in your 

 experience where good care and attention will count for 

 more on your horse than right here. After having him 

 properly cooled out and in shape to feed after the race, if he 

 is a delicate feeder give him anything to eat or drink that 

 you think will stimulate his appetite. If he will not eat 

 get your veterinary to give you something for him in the 

 way of a tonic. I have often seen horses given eggs and 

 milk in a case of this kind, with a little stimulant added in 

 the way of whisky or wine. If the horse is a good feeder 

 give him what you consider a fair feed of oats and hay, and 

 plenty of water ; the following morning have him led out at 

 the end of the halter in the grass and dew and let him have 

 some grass to eat. Thirty minutes before the time for the 

 race to be called take him out and jog him two or three miles 

 moderately and give him a slow working mile. The great 

 trouble with people going out to give a horse a slow 

 mile is that they drive some parts of it too fast and do not 

 rate the horse properly. I remember of seeing one of the 

 star performers in a postponed race badly handled in this, 

 respect. The driver took her out and in warming her up 

 drove her a quarter in thirty -two seconds on as hot a day 

 as I ever saw on a race-track. I concluded to watch her 

 closely in a race and see what the result would be. In the 

 first heat she led the first seven-eighths of a mile, thep. 

 stopped and was beaten out by all the other horses. As I 

 looked her over after the heat she was greatly distressed in 

 wind and limb and I was satisfied at the time that the quar- 

 ter she got in thirty-two seconds caused her to lose the heat. 

 If you start in a postponed race and none of your opponents 

 has two heats you will find it a pretty safe plan to lay up a 



