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GAYLORD PRINTEOINU.S.A,
 

 

CARE AND TRAINING
OF TROTTERS

VOLUME I OF
“THE\ HORSEMAN LIBRARY"

PREPARED BY THE
EDITORIAL STAFF OF
“THE HORSEMAN and
SPIRIT OF THE TIMES”
FROM INFORMATION
.FURNISHED BY THE
LEADING TRAINERS
AND DRIVERS OF THE
DAY BOS

PRICE $1.00, CLOTH, POSTPAID.-

PUBLISHED AND COPYRIGHTED 1914 BY*
CHICAGO HORSEMAN NEWSPAPER CO.
538 SO. DEARBORN STREET., CHICAGO, ILL.

 

 
Introduction.

There has been a great demand in recent years
for an authoritative treatise on the “Care and
Training of Trotters.” The only books on the
subject are out of date. We have endeavored to
fill this demand.

This book does not represent the ideas of one
man, as in past treatises, nor of a few men, but
of many. Practically all the leading authorities
have kindly collaborated with four members of
the editorial staff of “The Horseman,” during a
period of about six months, in the preparation of
this work.

The authorities listed herein have assisted either
by letter, personal interview, or in an editorial
capacity, to the contents of this book. We desire
to extend our thanks to all. Quotations have been
made, in a few instances, from the works of
Charles: Marvin and John Bradburn, but credit

is given each case.
THE PUBLISHERS.
CONTRIBUTORS AND COLLABORATORS.

Roland C. Drake
Charles H. Gelo

Frank E. Alley
Warren Bacon
Dr. W. A. Barber
L. E. Brown

Asa Danforth
John L. Dodge
Frank G. Jones
S.J. Fleming

L. C, Kinney

STOCK FARM

Harry Burgoyne
John Dagler

John H. Dickerson
Budd Doble :
James M. Hazleton
Joe Heather

Jos. M. McGraw

Ed, Allen

Oscar Ames

W. J. Andrews
ied. Benyon

Jas. Benyon
Ed. Bither

Geo. Bowerman
Mike Bowerman
James Carpenter
J. B. Chandler
Zach Chandler
Harold Childs
Walter R. Cox
Dick Curtis
Wick Curry
Crit Davis
Charley Dean
Chas. De Ryder
Budd Doble
Billy Dunham
Will G. Durfee
Fred Egan

John Fleming®
Will Fleming
W. 0. Foote

J. Y. Gateomb
Ed. F. Geers

Jd. O. Gerrity
Geo. T. Haag
W. H. Harrison
Geo. B. Hayes
H. H. Helman
James Hogan
H. H. James
Fred Jamison
H. M. Jones
Chet Kelly
Ren Kenney
‘George W. Leavitt
Ned McCarr

W. H. McCarthy
Scott McCoy

Dan McEwen

Drea
r. W.
Dr R.

t

E. Coover

§. Alexander
R. Dykstra

(Arranged Alphabetically.)

EDITORIAL STAFF.
Wn. H. Shields
Arthur C.. Thomas
OWNERS.

Cc. W. Lasell
Jobn E. Madden
Dr.-J. C. McCoy
Walter Palmer
Ed. L. Peckham
A. C. Pennock
O. H. Sholes
W. Hz. Smollinger
Amos Whiteley.

SUPERINTENDENTS.
John Ruppert
A. B. Scott
A. L. Thomas
Ben White
iid. Willis
John Young

TRAINERS AND DRIVERS.
Mike McDevitt
Joe McLaughlin
Alonzo McDonald
Dick McMahon
Jobn McQuaig
Guss Macey
TReamey Macey ~
Roy Miller
Hunter C. Moudy
Thomas W. Murphy |
‘rom Nolan
Vance Nuckols
kupert Parker
Robt. Proctor
Harry Putnam
Nat Ray
“Joe Rea
Ben Rennick
A. §. Rodney
Millard Sanders
Geo. W. Saunders
Jos. L. Serrill
Bert Shank
Bt Shively
W. W. Shuitt
Ray Snedeker
Wm. L. Snow
W. L. Spears
John Splan
George Starr
Harry C. Stinson
Charles Tanner
J. L, Tarlton
Henry H. Thomas
Douglas ‘Thomas
Henry Titer

e Charley Valentine
Al Whitney
Dick Wilson
Paul C. Wilson
Henry Williams
Matt Williams

v Bae ABTANS.
. S. R. Howard
Dr. _L. M. Oldham
Dr. Jack Seiter
4 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.-

Chapter I—The Suckling Colt.

——1 HE mare about to foal.should be
- placed in a warm box $stall,
especially if the colt comes
early and in a cold climate.
The colt might contract pneu-
monia from the shock to its
delicate constitution by ex-
posure to cold air.

The first attention to the colt should be to the
umbilical cord (navel string). There are two
methods of treatment, each has its adherents.
The older horsemen, and some younger ones, pre-
fer to tie up the cord about a half inch from the
body, and then cut it off, just below where it has
been tied. The younger horsemen and many vet-
erinarians advise against the tying up of the um-
bilical cord, since it has been found in some cases
to imprison the germs of navel disease which had
gained entrance to the navel before being disin-
fected. James Hazelton of Boice Stock Farm,
Frankfort, Ind., who has raised hundreds of colts.
successfully, is one we recall who does not tie
up the umbilical cord.

As soon as possible after the colt is born
squeeze out the gelatinous contents of the umbil-
ical cord, tie it up if you will, but in any event
paint it with an antiseptic solution, or, better still,
dip it into such a solution. Dr. A. S, Alexander

   
     

 

EM
5]

 

eatin tite

 

 

 
THE SUCKLING COLT. 5

prefers an antiseptic solution containing 2 drahms
of powdered corrosive sublimate to a pint of
boiling water, to which when cold has been added, 3
drahms of tincture or solution of chloride of iron
(Label bottle “Poison”). Use this solution twice a
day until the cord drops off. Dr. W. A. Barber
of Springfield, O., uses “a solution of 9 parts of
carbolic acid, dissolved in 1 part of alcohol, with
25 parts of camphor added, giving a clear oily ‘so-
lution that may be applied without fear of cauter-
izing and many times more efficacious, I think,
than corrosive sublimate.”’

A different method of accomplishing the same
end is advised by the Percheron Society of Amer-
ica in its pamphlet, “Facts About Percherons,”
and excellent results are reported by those breed-
ers who have tried it. This method of treatment
was recommended to the Percheron society by
Dr. R. R.. Dykstra. Tincture of iodine is first ap-
-plied to the cord and the area immediately sur-
rounding it. After this apply a drying powder
every half-hour for a period of three or four
hours, or until the cord is thoroughly dried up.
This drying powder is composed of equal parts. of
powdered gum camphor, starch and alum.

After the navel is attended to the next thing on
the program is to inject some warm water into the
colt’s rectum so as to start the bowels working reg-
ularly. Some men use an injection of one ounce of
sweet oil in a quart of warm water. Others use
6 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

castile soap suds in warm water, but this is not
widely recommended as the soap is thought to be
too irritating. Users of the soap suds injection
claim it is not irritating, especially if glycerine
is added. Olive oil makes a satisfactory in-
jection. In extreme cases give an ounce of castor
oil. A horseman writes: “For enemas would sug-
gest the use of a few tablespoonfuls of liquid
soap instead of castile soap-suds. It is non-
irritating, and ‘being of an oily nature serves a
double purpose. Great care should be exercised
in giving injections. Serious harm may result from
roughness as the tissues that you are working upon
are.in a very delicate condition at this time.
Gentleness should be observed in all things per-
taining to the handling of.a youngster. He is bet-
ter off without your medicine if you have to use
force in administering it. Nature will do a lot for
the colt if you let it alone in almost every case.”

Dr. S. R. Howard says: “The best rectal in-
jections, in my opinion, are: emulsion of slippery
elm bark or warm cow’s milk. No harm can be
done by any amount used, as they are natural in
their action.”

First Milk Important.

Soon after the colt arrives it will, if strong and
healthy, struggle to its feet (more or less clumsily
at first, of course), and suck.. If it is too weak
to rise it should be assisted, for the first nour-
ishment will strengthen the colt at a time when
THE SUCKLING COLT. 7

strength is absolutely necessary. The first milk
also contains a natural laxative which is beneficial
to the colt. If the colt is weak and will not suck
even when assisted, the mare should be milked and
the first milk, while still warm, given the colt from
a bottle with nipple. Tf the colt will not suck nipple
use a dessert spoon and pour the warm milk down
its throat. Do not be in too great a hurry to get
the colt up to suck. Any time within the first hour
will do.

We will say nothing of the care of the mare
after foaling (such as the removal and sanitary
destruction of the after-birth) for we are dealing
only with the colt.

As soon as possible after foaling, which we will
assume takes place indoors, the stall should be
thoroughly disinfected; the bedding should be
burned, the floor sprinkled with lime, and fresh
bedding laid down. For several weeks the bedding’
should be changed often. Cleanliness will usually
prevent navel disease. In Kentucky and farther
South. most colts are foaled out doors. Harry
Burgoyne of Walnut Hall Farm, Donerail, Ky.,
and Ed. Willis of Patchen Wilkes Farm, Lexing-
ton, Ky., prefer to have the colts foaled out doors,
if the weather is not too cold.

Treatment for Diarrhea.

When the colt is from seven to ten days old it
may be troubled with diarrhea, due to the mare
coming in heat or for other causes, in which event
8 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

keep both mare and colt in a quiet place’ Milk
the mare dry and doctor the colt.

John Bradburn strongly advised giving colts
troubled with diarrhea a blackberry cordial, full
directions for the making of which are described in
his book “Breeding and Developing the Trotter.”

A horseman writes: “John Bradburn’s black-
berry cordial has not proved sufficient in my ex-
perience, especially in obstinate cases. I have se-
cured the best results from paregoric and aro-
matic syrup of rhubarb, equal parts.”

A favorite prescription of Al Thomas, and one
with which he once saved the life of Alta Ax-:
worthy, 3, 2:1014, when she was suffering from a
severe case of diarrhea, is: -Take colt out of sun
(if turned out) and give it the yolk of an egg to
which has. been added 10 to 20 drops of tincture
of opium. Three or four doses a day should be
given until relief is obtained. Another prescrip-
tion is an egg in a pint of milk given three times
a day until cured. Another good prescription is a
teaspoonful of lime water in several of milk, given.
every three hours. At the Allen Farm, Pittsfield,
Mass., the remedy for diarrhea is limewater.

Roy Miller writes: “As to diarrhea in colts,
let me give you a suggestion which I received
from Major Daingerfield, to whom every breeder
in this world has to ‘take off-his hat.’ He told me
that his colts were never bothered with diarrhea,
to speak of, and especially soon after foal-
THE SUCKLING COLT. 9

ing, as he made it a point to put the. mare
on a diet that tended. to make milk about
four months before foaling time. About two
to three weeks before foaling time, he fed
the mare the same amount of feed she would
receive after foaling, and never increased the feed
of the mare for several weeks after she had
foaled. He claimed that, in doing this, the blood
of the foal was of the same richness as the blood
of the mare. He claimed that, in nearly all cases,
diarrhea came from increasing the feed of the
mare too soon after her colt was foaled.

Care must be taken to keep the colt’s navel
clean, so as to prevent “navel disease,” -but if
trouble develops call a veterinarian at once and in-
sist on a serum treatment. If no veterinarian is
accessible (and in that emergency only) insert into
the navel, with a bulb-syringe catheter, any good
antispetic solution. For instance a one-quarter
ounce of creolin to two ounces of boiled water.
Insert the catheter as far as an opening can be
made without forcing. The injection should be
continued from time to time till the navel is healed
and closed. The symptoms of navel trouble
are: Colt acts dull, there is a leakage from
navel; colt is stiff in knees, hocks, or hips,
with sometimes a formation of pus around knees,
hocks or abdomen. Some people advise lancing to
relieve the swelling, others prefer letting Nature
remove the foreign matter,
1¢ CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

We will state here that it is not the intention to
make this in any sense a veterinary treatise. Where
thought best, simple home treatment for common
ailments will be made mention of in simple terms.
In most cases a veterinarian should be called.

In Pasture.

As soon as the colt is strong enough and when
weather is good, mare and colt should be turned
into a paddock an.hour or two, morning and after-
noon. The length of time the colt is turned out
should be gradually increased each day until finally
colt is out all day if weather permits, but taken in

_at night. When warm weather comes (it is as-

» sumed we have a spring foal), the mare and colt
should be turned out in pasture. If large pas-
tures are used too many mares should not be
turned out together. No matter how large or small
the pasture, turn the mares and colts into the pas-
ture at intervals until the desired number are in
but never turn out the whole drove together, as
the mares may run about and kick each other, and:
injure either themselves or the colts. In the South
mates stay in pasture practically the year around.
Large open sheds are built for them, with southern
exposure, for such occasional protection from
weather as they will need.

The system of feeding brood mares with suck-
ling foals, and young horses, at Palo Alto. Farm
was somewhat different from that usually prac-
THE SUCKLING COLT. He)

ticed. They ran to grass, were fed hay, and
night and morning were fed steamed or cooked
food—sometimes oats and sometimes barley;
they were also fed carrots. Long before the colt
was weaned it learned to poach on its mother’s
meal, and when at four months of age it was
weaned, it was fed the same as a yearling or two-
year-old.

If the mare comes in season at thirty days, the
colt may again be troubled with diarrhea. By this
time the colt will ordinarily be strong enough to
go through such trouble without ill effects. If the
diarrhea continues, however, take the mare from
pasture and keep her in a cool, quiet place, take her
off of grain feed entirely, and feed her hay or
grass for from five to eight days till colt’s condi-
tion is normal.

When the colt is two months old its feet may
be leveled for the first time with a rasp; do not
use pinchers. The feet should be leveled once’ a
month, otherwise the wall of the foot will grow
down and break off unevenly. Some claim it is not
necessary to trim the feet till weaning time. This
subject is treated in detail in a later chapter on
“Care of Colt’s Feet,” by Dr. Jack Seiter.

If the mare does not thrive on pasture at first,
she should be taken up each morning and fed some
crushed oats and bran equally mixed, say four
quarts each morning. She may also be given green
corn, sorghum, or alfalfa. She should stay in-
LS CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

doors until the middle of the afternoon, when she
should be fed again, omitting the green feed, and
turned back into pasture.

Feeding Paddock.

About the middle of summer colts will require
additional nourishment. Feeding paddocks should
be built in the pastures, as illustrated, which will

 

allow only the colts access to the troughs. On
most farms the troughs are placed about 2% feet
from the ground. It is well to line them with zinc
so that the attendant can ‘keep them clean. Some
have troughs only four inches from the ground.
These low troughs are not widely used because
colts are liable to jump over them and. knock their
THE SUCKLING COLT. 13

ankles and skin their legs. Musty food should
not be allowed to accumulate and troughs should.
be cleaned out after each meal. Colts may be fed
once a day, or twice, according to judgment, de-
pending on amount of extra nourishment neces-
sary. Feed as much as colts will eat up clean.
Some horsemen use a thoroughly mixed feed in
proportions of two bushels of oats, one of wheat,
one-half of cracked corn, fifty pounds of bran and
twenty pounds of oil meal (not oil cake but ground
flaxseed meal). Colts, as well as mares, should
be salted once or twice a week, or leave rock salt
where it can be licked as desired.

Every stock farm owner should know the per-
centage of limestone in his soil. Fast trotters
never came from lime-deficient regions. Horses
raised in such localities are apt to be week-boned,
therefore unsound. If your soil is deficient in lime
take a piece of fresh-burned lime the size of a
hen’s egg and drop it into the water troughs once or
twice a week. Speaking of water troughs they
should be cleaned out regularly.

“As the twig is bent the tree inclines,” so par-
ticular attention should be given to a colt in the
first few months of.its life. As Jahn Splan once
wrote: “Anyone who can not control his temper
should never be allowed to have anything to do
with a colt. * * * You should begin to impress
the colt from its earliest life that man is his friend,
and the foundation of his education is laid.”
14 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Mannering the Colt.

Many good horsemen put ‘an easy-fitting halter
on the colt when it is ten days old, which makes
the colt easier to manage in the stall. On several
large farms, such as Allen Farm, Pittsfield, Mass.,
and White River Stock Farm, Muncie Ind.,
colts are thoroughly halter broken at this
time. The halter should be taken off when the
colt is turned out for the summer. The colt’s
feet should be picked up and handled from time to
time. Amos Whiteley of White River Stock
Farm, says: “We commence mannering the colts
almost as soon as they are foaled, and soon accus-
tom them to being handled. Our colts are haltered
when they are two or three weeks old. We use
an ordinary halter, and get a piece of half-inch
hemp rope, about two and a half feet long, thor-
oughly wrapped at one end, or near the end, and
with a snap hook attached to the other end, and
snap the rope into the halter, letting the colt carry
or drag it so as to become accustomed to carrying
something, and in a way,-to be guided by it. Our
brood mares are all nicely mannered and compan-
ionable; in fact; when I go into the brood mare
pasture, the mqres always expect some sugar, car-
rots, apples, or something that they like, and while
they are enjoying their little treat, the colts are
becoming accustomed to being handled, and soon
begin to. look for something for themselves. By
treating the colts in this way, they are almost
THE SUCKLING COLT. 15

broken before they are weaned, and in many cases
our colts wean themselves,:or substantially so, as
they are put on ground feed, oats with a smal!
portion of rye and bran. We try to have them
learn to eat good before they are weaned.”

The main things to observe in the care of suck-
ling colts are common-sense and kind treatment.
Nature should be allowed to do as much of the
work as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

,

Ai:dale, 2:15% ‘(in 1912), World’s Champion Yearling Trotter,
16 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Chapter 2—The Weanling Colt. .

 

HEN fall comes, the suckling colt
should be weaned. Some brood
mare handlers take the colt
away from the dam and milk
the mare dry each day. This
MMe is done on the Savage Farm
“and McKennan farm. Others
allow the colt to suck twice a day for sev-
eral days, then once a day for a_ while, till
the mare dries up of her own accord. One
prominent colt handler says: “The first method
is the right one and best when you have experi-
enced help or can look after mare and colt your-
self, otherwise the second. method should be used.”
Another says: ‘Don’t tantalize the colt by keep-
ing its mother around while wesniig— ie is like
cutting off a dog’s tail a little at a'time.”

_A horseman writes: “I wean my colts by tak-
ing them off the mares at once and taking the
mares far enough away so that they will not hear
each other. Of late years I have been weaning
by the signs of the Zodiac, This may sound a lit-
tle ancient, at least to’ some people, but it does not
cost anything, and Ihave found that my mares
and colts both do a great deal better. Before I
tried this I had more or less trouble with mares’
bags caking and colts worrying a good deal for

 

 

 

 
THE WEANLING COLT. Lt

a short time, but under this system I have had no
trouble either way.”

Joseph McGraw writes: “We wean a colt by
taking it away from dam and milk mare for four
days, twice a day, then once a day till dried up.
I use equal parts spirits of camphor, tincture of
belladonna and lard (no salt) on mare’s bag.”

The colt should be placed in a box stall and
haltered. Use a good, strong five-ring leather.
halter, one that fits right and is not too tight nor
too loose. One horseman then proceeds to break
the colt to stand tied. His advice is: “Take a 4-
inch rope, maKe a small noose in one end, pass the
rope around the colt’s girth, slip the plain end
through the noose, and draw the rope tight around
the girth, pass the loose end of the rope between
the colts’ legs and up through the halter ring. Tie
end of rope to a ring in the stall and leave colt
stand for an hour or so each day. This will
break the colt to stand hitched, which is an im-
portant part of its education.” Other horsemen
do not tie colts in the stall until after they are thor-
oughly halter broken.

Joe Heather of Hopper farm writes: “I put
a, good fitting halter on the colts the first thing.
I attach a lead and just let it drag. The next
thing is to get a good quiet man that likes colts
and put him in with them, brushing them -and
fussing with them. I find that when a colt has
run loose in the stall a few days with the halter
18 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

lead dragging it is no trouble at all for it to learn
to lead. I like this way better than putting ropes
around their girths and hind quarters, and such
things as that, as I have known a good many cases
where colts were injured more or less.”

Feeding.

After weaning, the colt should bé well fed.
Oats is the usual food, together with timothy or
prairie-hay. Bran may be mixed equally with the
oats, although this will not be necessary if clover
or alfalfa are available. Some authorities con-
sider oats too hard for young colts to masticate
and give ground feed and clover hay.

Roy Miller writes: “I take it we are all trying
to raise colts, fit in constitution, size and éndur-
ance, to start in the futurities; therefore the feed-
ing of the little fellow, just at this age, is a very
important consideration indeed. I note you men-
tion oats and timothy hay. I suggest two quarts
rolled oats, one quart bran, one pint cracked’
screened corn, and a handful of rolled barley, to a
feed, three times a day, with all the straight clover
hay that a colt will eat, twice daily. If a breeder is
forced to eliminate any of the bill of fare I have
mentioned, I suggest he leave out anything he sees
‘fit except the.clover hay.”

One horseman writes: “As to feeding them, I
give them clover hay, with a small allowance of
corn, and all the good oats they will clean up. I
THE WEANLING COLT. 19

also like sowed cane, which I think makes an ex-
cellent feed for young colts in winter.”

J. L. Dodge writes: “Regarding feeding, I be-
lieve that too much is worse than too little. You
seldom see a sick hungry man. If your colt doesn’t
thrive and you increase his feed and he improves
you know the reason. If he gets sick and you in-
crease his feed and he gets worse, what do you
do? Over-feeding causes nearly all the sickness.
One big strong colt eats no moré than some runts.
It’s what they digest, not what they eat, that does
them good. Too much rich food makes too much
expensive manure and heavy doctor bills. Feed the
colts all the good oats and timothy they will eat
up clean, and see that they get exercise enough to
warrant such feeding. Reduce the feed when sick
or not exercising. Don’t feed rich food at any
time. During the time of strenuous work, feed
crushed oats, bit don’t practice this. Fletcheriz-
ing would leave us no stomachs at all in a few
generations and concentrated foods do only for
emergencies.” .

Ben White writes: “I think the most important
thing of all is the feeding of the weanling, and no
man could improve on what Roy Miller says in
regard to feeding youngsters. I like a few car-
rots three times a week to feed to colts. They will
drive worms from a colt and keep their bowels in
good shape.”
20 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

The attendants should handle the colts carefully
so as to inspire confidence and friendship. The
colt should be groomed daily in order to improve
its coat and to break it to the use of the currycomb

and brush. :
Halter-Breaking.

After the colt has become accustomed to a stall,
the next thing is to halter-break it. The horse-
man who advised tying the colt in stall, with a
rope around girth, makes this suggestion: “The
first day the colt is weaned and after it has stood
in the stall for awhile, the rope should be taken
off and a plain leather strap substituted. Bring
the dam out. Let the colt go up to her, then
have an assistant lead the mare away. Then lead
the colt-after her, until the colt gets used to being
led about. Then take the mare away, without let-
ting the colt see you do so, and continue the les-
son in leading.” : ‘

Dr, W. A. Barber writes: “My idea as to the
best time to halter-break a colt is the next day
after it is foaled. Slip a good fiting halter on the
colt and handle it at every opportunity. lf you
have a boy’ that loves a horse he will soon have
the colt broken to halter as well as to lead at will.
From that time’ ne cole will grow up to know
what restraint is.’

Ned McCarr, colt man at the Savage Farm,
writes: “We halter-break a colt by putting a
piece of three-eighths-inch bell cord around it,
THE WEANLING COLT. 21

the same as a breeching, and then a short piece to
run over the back, directly over the flanks, : con-
necting both sides, to keep it from falling down
over the heels; then the two long pieces are run
through the halter ring. The colt breaker takes
the halter shank in one hand, and the two ends of
the cord in the other, then gently pulls on the
halter shank and gives the cord a sharp jerk. The
colt will generally make.a jump forward, and in
some cases attempt to kick, but it takes, as a rule,
only one lesson for the colt to grasp the idea that
with a pull of the halter shank it will also re-
ceive a jerk on the cord, so that after a few les-
sons it will obey and lead on the first pull of the
shank.” Frank E. Alley of Roseburg, Ore., uses
-this same method to break his colts to halter ex-
cept he is careful to give ‘an equal pull on the
halter rope and the rope which goes around the
colt. Give a steady pull and the colt will always
step forward to get away from the pressure be-
hind.”

“T have always considered that I knew some-
thing about breaking colts, but my superintend-
ent, Mr. McDonald, showed me a new wrinkle in
bitting.a colt, which is the finest thing I have ever
seen. He uses the ordinary bitting rig, consist-
ing of a surcingle, back band (with a ring on
either side), crupper attachment, plain, open
bridle without check, and a soft leather bit with a
leather guard at either side of the mouth. The
wo
lo

CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

colt is led out into the yard or paddock.and a
short. strap attached to the bit on one side and tied
through one ring on the back band, tight enough
to draw the colt’s head around to one side. The
colt is then turned loose and allowed to wander
where it will. As the head is turned to one side,
‘the colt will continue to go in a circle and cannot
run. After a few minutes the strap is’ changed
to the other side, and in a very few lessons the
colt is perfectly bridle-wise. An important advan-
tage of this method is that you can go up to the
colt at any time, for it is impossible for the colt
to get away from you, and the colt will learn
the purpose of the bit without inflicting any dam-
age whatever.” This method of breaking is cer-
tainly a success with Mr. Alley, for he furnishes
us a picture of four weanlings in motion, hitched
four-in-hand to a light cart, and all well-behaved.

Leading Beside Pony.

You will now have to decide whether you are
going to break your colt to lead beside a pony, or
not. Authorities are at variance on the subject.
One man will say it “makes speed,” another “‘it is
harmful,” while still another will take the middle
ground and say “it does not make speed, it is not
harmful, and it will add to a colt’s value if it
passes through a sale ring, or if you wish to show
it to advantage to a possible purchaser.” Even
among those who break their colts to lead beside
THE WEANLING COLT. 23

a pony, there is some difference of opinion as to
when this should be done. One prominent colt
man advises breaking the colt in this manner with-
in a day or two after weaning. He says the
advantage of breaking beside a pony the next
day after weaning is: the colt will be lonesome and
will follow the pony naturally. Start the lesson in
a yard with an assistant to go behind the colt till
it is used to leading. The leading should be done
every day till the colt is well broken. If the colt
handler is not an expert in leading colts beside a
pony, give only a few lessons in this direction, as
the colts will get to side pulling and will learn
other vices. If the handler is expert in this direc-
tion, the colt’s leading may be increased, with an
occasional brush at nearly the limit of its speed,
but do not overdo it. Let the colt have his head
and trot as naturally as possible.

O. H. Sholes is one who does not believe in
breaking a colt to lead beside a pony. He says:
“Tt is time thrown away. It is effort in the wrong
direction. We drive horses in races, we do not
lead them. It does not add to their value, but
diminishes their worth. It costs money to make
speed beside a pony and you have to do it all over
again when the time comes for driving. I don’t
think a colt should be taught to follow.”

Roy Miller writes: “I am not in favor of lead-
ing colts, never was, and I don’t believe I ever will
be; however, a great many of our very best colt
24 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

trainers are advocates of this method, and as you
say, if carefully done, and within reason, by some
one that understands his business, good results can
be expected.”

Booting.

Now comes the disputed question of when to
boot a colt. One colt man writes: “Before being
led at any speed the colt should be fitted with a
few boots for protection against injury. Put on
shin boots in front and behind, quarter boots in
front and scalpers behind. If the colt has nat
been shod, then in place of scalpers use a small
rubber bell-boot behind. In booting remember
that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure. If the little fellow once hits himself he is
apt.to lose confidence. It is, better to put on too
many boots than too few. When the colt is turned
in paddock, put on front shin and quarter boots.”

Another man writes: “Don’t get too anxious
to put on boots. When a colt gets sick because it
has scalped a little, then it is time to inject a little
new blood into your great stable. When you see
marks.on your colt’s feet, call them to the atten-
tion of your blacksmith, or write the shoeing
editor of The Horseman. The chances are the
angle of the foot is wrong.”

Ned McCarr says: “I never put boots on colts
or shoe them until they are perfectly broken and
ready to be trained for speed. This idea of boot-
ing and shoeing a colt, that is not perfectly broken,
THE WEANLING COLT. 25

is, to my mind, a bad one, as they cannot hurt
themselves if they are not shod, and the boots are
a decided hindrance to freedom of action, and
are apt to give a wrong.idea as to How the colt is
gaited. I prefer to train them in the afternoon,
turning them out in the morning and then handling
them after they are brought in. In this way they
are not apt to be so frisky and consequently be-
have far better, and there is less-danger of their
being injured.”

While the colt is receiving its lesson (which
is usually in the morning), have its stall cleaned
and bedded and a little hay thrown in for it to
nibble at on its return. Let the colt stay in the
stall about an hour, or until it is entirely cooled
off, and then turn it out in a paddock for a féw
hours.

The colt’s feet will need attention. One horse-
man’s advice is: ,“Keep: hoofs rasped to proper
angle and level once a month.”

Some authorities insist the colt’s feet should
be cleaned with a foot pick every morning, others
object to using a pick, but agree that the feet
should be handled. The preponderance of. opin-
ion is with the former method. Nature requires
a certain amount of moisture in the foot, and if
colts stand on dry ground, some horsemen advise
packing the feet, at least three times a week, with
some kind of hoof dressing. Some use clay, while
others object to it, because it draws out the nat-
26 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTHRS.

ural oils. One horseman says: “Cut out the oil
meal packing, as it was discarded with the 1492
methods. I prefer clay.” A packing recommended
by a well-known horseman is old-process oil
meal and water mixed to the consistency of bread
dough, with any good indisfectant added to pre-
vent souring. This packing supplies moisture and
oil and prevents thrush. Other horsemen object
strenuously to packing of any kind on colts. One
horseman writes: “Don’t pack the colts’ feet. If
you can’t think of anything else to do, sit down
and smoke. If you don’t smoke, play with the
dog.” Another horseman writes: “Outside of
the feet being kept’ properly trimmed and kept
clean, we do not use any packing or hoof dressing
until after they are shod. Nature provides for
this and a foot will keep in a good, healthy and
soft condition, without any artificial methods, until
the hoof is shod. Then it is time to provide the
necessary moisture, that the shoeing takes away.”

Bitting.

A prominent colt man writes: “I bit all my
colts with a halter, using a double snap, with one
snap in the halter ring and the other in the bit.
This can be uséd for half an hour in the morning
and evening. After the colt has become used to
the bit, then by all means use a bitting harness,
first for twenty minutes to half an hour morning
and evening, and, after a few days a little longer,
THE WEANLING COLT. 2

and it isn’t a bad idea to turn a colt out in a pad-
dock for a half an hour with it on.” — ,

Joseph L. Serrill writes: “I think looking after
the colt’s teeth a very important thing. If a colt
fights the bit much, look at his mouth, and you will
probably find a sharp tooth has cut his cheek,
which is very sore.’’

Ground Breaking.

The colt is now ready to be ground-broken, that
is, broken to harness. Get a harness that will fit it
properly and put it on carefully and slowly. Let
the colt stand.in the stable with the harness on a
short time each day till accustomed to it. Then
the colt should be driven in the barn. Have two
men at first, one to lead the colt, the other to hold
the reins. One horseman objects to the preceding
sentence. “Don’t have two men to handle a poor
little colt. A fifteen-year-old boy can give a colt
its first lessons, or one man can, if he is fearless
and not too heavy in the arms and-doesn’t make a
sled of his feet,”” Teach the purpose of reins, that
is, to turn in either direction, or to back. It is im-
portant to teach the colt the command “whoa,”
and to stand still, especially when tied to a hitch-
ing post. Be careful in harnessing not to check
your colt too high. Many colts are unbalanced
by checking too ‘high.

Ned McCarr describes his method of ground-
breaking: “After our colts are broken to lead, a
harness is applied. Care is taken to see that it
28 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

fits snug, especially the bit, which is a leather cov-
ered one. One attendant leads the colt and an-
other takes up the lines and drives it. We do not
have to repeat this performance very often, as
the colts can be driven alone, after a. few «ays,
depending naturally on the headway made.’

Joe Heather writes: “After colts are thorough-
ly gentle I slip a harness on them, using a com-
mon slip-noose halter, with a long lead, and com-
mence to break them to drive, using the halter to
control them. This avoids bruising and hurting
their mouths which are very tender at this time.
I do not need any attendant to help me drive them
the first time or two as some others have suggest-
ed, as they don’t work together all the time, mak-
ing more or less confusion with the colts, irritat-
ing them unnecessarily and so on. I have never
tried to drive a colt under this plan that within
thirty minutes I could not drive him almost any-
where I wanted to go. Of course this depends on
his having been properly handled by the man at the
barn. After he is well ground-broken and thor-
oughly bridle-wise, there are very, few that will
give any trouble when hitched to a light cart.”

One colt man writes: “TI hitch my colts to the
lightest kind of a low-wheel rubber-tire cart.
With an attendant to lead them a short distance;
and the driver up, they are started off, and, as a
rule, they go on and pay no attention to the rig
at.all.”
THE WEANLING COLT. 29

Before hitching the colt to cart, some horsemen
run two light poles through the shaft. holders and
let the colt become used to feeling them along his
sides. If.this is done, they claim it is not neces-
sary to hitch the colt to a heavy breaking cart.
This advice is objected to by one colt man, who
says: “Don’t run poles through the shaft holders.
Don’t play dog with the colt.” Another expert
writes’: ‘Cut out the poles, as we are, at this day
and date, breaking intelligent horses, and the
broncho methods don’t go. ‘Any colt that is prop-
erly ground-broken, and has been driven for three
weeks, at the age of a weanling, will be ready to
hitch to the lightest bike cart that is made.” Many
good colt breakers object to the use of a very
heavy cart, preferring a lighter one from which
the driver can descend quickly and easily. On the
other hand, one man says: “Don’t think about a
cart you can get out of quickly, but one you can
stay in easily. If you are a coward and too good
to die, give up breaking colts. They know when
you are afraid and will show you a fast time.”
Charles Marvin, in his book, wrote against the use
of carts, and advised a skeleton wagon, but later in
life he told Al Thomas he had changed his mind
and given up the use of the skeleton wagon.

Hitching to Cart.
The colt is now ready to be hitched up and
driven. Take an assistant along, as his help will
be required in cases of accident. An objection is
30 CARE AND. TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

raised to this by a horseman, who writes: “Don’t
take an assistant along. It is no time for visiting.
If you are afraid of the colt, let your wife drive
it the first few times.” Some colt breakers prefer
to hitch the colt alongside an older and well broken
horse for its first few lessons, but this method is
somewhat antiquated and little used’ Some advise
carrying a whip from the first, so that the colt
will become used to one, but do not be in too great
a hurry to use it. An objector to this advice says:
“Don’t carry a whip the first few times. The colt
doesn’t need whipping.” Be careful about pulling
on the lines so as not to make the colt a “puller.”
One prominent trainer, in the-early lessons, always
uses a rope halter under the bridle, with the rope
extending back to the seat of the cart and always
pulls the colt to a stop with this, and even guides
to certain extent with it. Another trainer ‘says:
“Don’t be afraid of the bridle making pullers. It’s
the driver who does that.”

Do not break a colt before a crowd of specta-
tors. Do not lose your temper. Do not pull the
colt over backwards. ;

Dr. J. C. McCoy says: “The way to begin
breaking a colt is to always have the same man
harness it and the colt won't be scared. Let the
one who hitches the colt drive it around with the
harness on for about a week and be sure not to
hurt its mouth. After the week is up, hitch the
colt to a cart and walk it for another week. Never
THE WEANLING COLT. 31

going faster than a walk, if possibie. When this
has been done, the colt is ready for anything, and
he will soon show whether,-he is of any account.
or not. Above éverything, in breaking the colt,
don’t use any check for about.a month.”

With the exception of leading beside a pony
nothing has been said in this chapter about “mak-
ing speed,” as that will be treated in the next
installment. — .

Shoeing.

We have purposely reserved for the closing par-
agraphs of this chapter the subject of shoeing, as
authorities differ as to just when the colt should
be shod. Some have gone so far as to suggest
light front shoes on colts in pasture late in the
summer, but this is a theory and seldom, if ever,
practiced. Others shoe shortly after weaning, or
just before leading beside a pony,.especially when
the soil is sandy. Others do not shoe until the
spring of a colt’s yearling form. This subject will
be treated in a separate chapter by Dr. Jack Seiter.

The natural gaited colts will need only light shoes
for protection. Double gaited colts require heavier
shoes at first, but the weight should be gradually
reduced, if possible.

In applying weight somé horsemen object ‘to:
the use of toe weights, unless sure a colt needs.
them, and prefer heavy shoes. Toe weights have
their uses, they claim, but sometimes get a colt to
hitting his elbows. On the other hand, Roy Miller
82 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

writes: “TI consider toe weights one of the most
important inventions made to assist trainers in
the training of horses of‘ all ages, and especially
colts. It is safe to estimate, I should think, that
fully 90 per cent of thé progressive trainers of to-
day use toe weights. A heel weight (or loaded
heel boot), is just as essential for some colts, and
has been fised-with a great deal of success here at
Lexington, for the past half-dozen years.”

In cases of defective gait, a colt handler must
use his own judgment or consult an experienced
farrier. It is just as necessary to have the advice
of an experienced farrier in cases of defective gait,
as it is to call a veterinarian when a colt is sick.
The colt’s feet should be trimmed regularly.

Finally, remember, in the words of Charles
Marvin: “There ig nothing more senseless and
injurious than punishing a horse or a colt for not
doing what he does not understand you want him
to do.”
MAKING SPEED. 33

Chapter 3—“Making Speed.”

Z)RAINERS are not agreed on
when to commence with a colt
to “make speed.” Some train-
ers do considerable speed work
in the fall, right after breaking,
but the majority wait till the
spring of a colt’s yearling form.
In these articles we. are assuming that a colt is
being trained for the futurities.

In the last chapter our colt had been broken to
drive. After breaking the colt should be jogged
until it is accustomed to all strange sights and ex-
periences. This jogging does not call for any
speed,

But sooner or later the time comes for speed
work, or “making speed.” The old way was to
drive a colt for a certain distance, say half a mile,
at a slow gait, and on each succeeding occasion
drive him a little faster. This system is still in
use but has been superseded to a great degree by
the “brush” system as introduced by Gov. Leland
Stanford and made popular by the success of the
colts trained at Palo Alto Farm by Charles Mar-
vin. Marvin is often credited with having intro-
duced: the brush system of training but in his
book he tells us that it was in use when he be-
came connected with the famous California estab-
lishment.

 

 

 

 

 
34 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Before proceeding with an explanation of the
brush system, the opportunity here -presents itself
to mention a few hints about the hitching and
driving of a colt for speed work.

Pulling.

“No. foot, no horse” is an old and true axiom,
but “no mouth, no horse” is just as true. Great
care should be exercised not to spoil a colt’s
mouth. Do not teach a colt to “pull,” by “taking
too strong a hold” on the reins. Drive with a
light hand. Hold the reins just tight enough to
“steady” the colt in his gait and to prevent stum-
bling or swerving. (It will be understood that
these remarks refer to colts just being broken.
An old-time confirmed puller cannot be driven
with.a loose line, unless one is lucky enough “to
break him” of the habit—Ed.) If you take too
strong a hold the colt will “fight the bit,” or “lug,”
or become unbalanced in gait or acquire a bad
temper.

The habit of pulling is sometimes caused by
checking the colt too high. Many successful
trainers do not use a check until the colt has had
several weeks of speed work. When the check is
put on let it hang a trifle loose at first, adjustment
can be made later as experience demands. If the
colt starts to pull when you jog him, bring him
to a walk. Then start him up again slowly. Re-
peat this till he learns to jog without pulling. ©
MAKING SPEED. 35

It is important to teach the colt to trot at uni-
form ‘speed on a lightly held line, when started at
a certain gait. An intelligent colt will soon learn
this habit.

A colt should be taught to eee to the voice,
so that when he shows an inclination to “take the
bit in his teeth,” the driver can “talk him back.”
As a colt’s speed increases a-firmer grip on thé
reins will be necessary to steady him in his gait,
and keep him in his stride—but don’t pull.

It is important for the driver to learn how to
“catch” a colt when it makes a break. Marvin
wrote: “My plan is to give him a square pull
back, and swing him very slightly to one side, giv-
ing him a chance to catch in the cross stride.”
“Catching” is an accomplishment which can be
acquired only by practice, certainly not through
written advice.

Don’t lose your temper when a colt leaves its
feet, don’t jerk nor snatch nor see-saw. It is hardly
necessary to advise against teaching a colt to
be a “handy breaker.” This was an old time idea’
that happily has. been practically discarded.

Do not allow the colt to learn the side-pulling
habit, which may be caused by an uneven hold on.
the lines, or by poor teeth, or by too large a bit.

If a colt starts to hitch, scalp, or forge, correct
the evil before you go on with its speed lessons.

As to a whip, don’t carry one unless you know
how and when to use it.
36 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

With these preliminary remarks we will pro-
ceed to take the yearling to the track for a speed
lesson on the brush system; but first let us warn
the driver not to start in speed work until the colt
is properly hardened and “legged up” for the
coming ordeal. Inasmuch as Marvin was the great
exponent of this system we will quote his own
words:

“Colts need practically no jogging, yearlings cer-
tainly none whatever. Of course no colt or horse
should be worked soon-after a meal. You will find
the yearling (althougha trifle nervous) ready to work
as soon as you get him on the track. Start him up
at a good, fast jog for about 150 to 200 yards. Then
turn slowly, giving him time to get his breath, and
let him brush back a little faster. After going about
the same distance, stop again, turning slowly, and
send him back again, this time carrying him right up
to his clip at.some point of the brush, preferably near
the end of it. In all his work, especially when the
brushes are sharp, be careful to let him get his wind
at each turn, and after this sharp brush that I have
just described give him a little longer to breathe than
you did before. Now straighten him out and brush
him up the stretch again about the same distance,
going up to his clip about the last of it, and that will
be enough work for that day.

“Take him in where no cold draft can blow on him,
and take off the harness and boots. Give him a swal-
low or two of water, rub him off lightly, and let the
boy walk him a little, then put him in his box and
leave him undisturbed, so that he can lay down, as a
colt youngster will, and rest.

“As I have said, young colts require little jogging
aud no sweating or scraping. Young animals do not
take on fat internally like matured ones, and there is
in fact no Superfluous flesh in this rapidly growing
period. The colt requires not to be reduced, but
rather to be made stouter and stronger. Physicing,
sweating and scraping are just the things no colt can
MAKING SPEED. 37

take and thrive. It stops his growth and muscular
development to strip him of his flesh, for the growing
body, the maturing muscle and bone, need that nour-
ishment which is only afforded in a condition of
marked thriftiness. Only in this condition will the
colt be in good fettle and spirit, and capable of taking
his work with relish and being benefited by it. it
therefore behooves the trainer to watch constantly
that the colt does not go back in condition) for this
loss of condition may be at first almost impercept-
ible. It is all the better if the colt carries a fair de-
gree of flesh, which will not be of the soft kind with
the work here prescribed. Keep him in good, vig-
orous condition, so that he will perspire freely with
work, but leave heavy blankets, hoods, sweating and
scraping alone.

“The first day’s training in harness should be ad-
hered to without any increase for the first ten days
or so. From four to six brushes will be sufficient at
first, but in say, two weeks, it can be increased a lit-
tle. Don’t increase the length of the brushes, but the
number and speed of them, but this increase must be
slow and gradual, according to the size and capacity
of the colt, and the relish he shows for the work.

“Tt is a good plan to let the colt up for two or three
days, every three or four weeks, for a run out and a
rest. This will freshen him up, and these breaks in
the monotony will, if he is not overdone or harshly
worked be an effective preventive of track sickness
and staleness. After each little let up he will go to
work again with more keenness and vim. Barring
these rests, the colt’s work will go on every day—
Sundays excepted—presuming that he has been kept
well and right. When he is two years old he will
take more work, but not a greatly increased distance.
I am not prepared to say that the length of the brush
should ever be increased to over a quarter of a mile.
We are now, mark you, working our colt for speed.
You will, no doubt, inquire how a horse can trot a
race without being worked mile heats. You cannot
cut much of a figure in a race without speed, and,
after you have developed speed sufficient to go away
from home with, it will be time enough to condition
him to carry it. You must have the speed before you
38 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

can win races. It is of no use to condition your
horse to go mile heats, if you haven’t first got the
speed to beat somebody else. You will see, then, that
the Palo Alto system proceeds on the logic of the
author of the recipe already quoted for cooking the
hare: First catch your hare. We aim to first de-
velop the speed, and after that to condition the horse
to carry it. The merit of this system of training in
short, sharp brushes lies in the fact that it is the
quickest and most effective way of at once toning up
and hardening the muscles, and bringing out a high
rate of speed—of teaching the colt to trot fast.”

Marvin’s book was published in 1890. We
have always considered it unfortunate that he did
not publish a revised edition before his death, be-
cause he changed a number of his methods before
his death. However, he never discarded the
brush system explained above.

Marvin’s book was widely read—especially
by owners, who tried ty pass along their absorbed
knowledge to their trainers, with sometimes laugh-
able _results, so that the term “Marvin-book-
trained-owners” became quite common. As time
flew by Marvin’s book and other contemporaneous
works became out-of-date. There was a call for
a modern treatise on the subject of training trot-
ters, which we are endeavoring to fill by the pub-
lication of this book. By combining the ideas of
practically all of the various authorities on the
subject, we hope to escape the criticism which
has been heaped on past effort.

Special care should be taken at this period of
a colt’s life to see that it has plenty of water,
MAKING SPEED. 39

Fix a hoop in the corner of his stall so that the
water bucket may be kept at all times in reach
-of the colt. Naturally, you will not allow him
to drink much after a work-out until he is
cooled off,

While it is not wise to load a colt up with
boots, he shoitld have enough for protection.
You will doubtless have discovered, during the
first lessons to cart, what -boots he will need.
Be especially careful the colt doesn’t speedy-cut
otherwise he will get to going “sideways” and
in an otherwise bad-gaited manner. Do not put
the boots on too tight, but as snug as possible,
without interfering with circulation. Of course,
the boots should be cleaned each time after they
are used.

If, in breaking, the colt has not been taught
‘to stand still, while being hitched or unhitched,
you had better complete that neglected part of
his education before doing much speed work.
In unhitching be sure everything is loose before
backing the cart away.

Horsemen disagree about when to start ban-
daging’a colt. One collaborator writes: “After
speeding or jogging a colt I always apply leg
wash, then wrap the legs in cotton and put ona
set of bandages. After the colt is thoroughly
cooled out, the bandages should be removed
and the legs brushed out and given a good hand
rubbing of about fifteen minutes to each leg.
40 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Brush the colt off and then put him away in
cotton. Be sure and pack his feet, for they are
growing and developing and need plenty of
moisture. The bandages should be changed
again in the evening and legs given a good, hard
rubbing.” ie

“As to blanketing,” one horseman writes, “the
guy at the wheel is supposed to know when to
blanket. I always ‘put on a blanket and hood
on cold, windy days. Never allow a direct
draft to hit the colt when he is in a heated con-
dition.”

We have riow given the essential features of
speed work. The subject might be extended in-
definitely, but further details would make our re-
marks too cumbersome. _ As Charles Valentine
very expressively set forth: “This thing of be-
ing able to find out in a book how to break, shoe,
train and feed a colt is all a frost. As you know,
you can’t handle all colts alike. The first thing
owners should do with a colt ready for speed de-
velopment is. to send it to a first class trainer.”

The man who wants to win a futurity, and who
can afford it, should either hire a good trainer, or
send his colt to one. But if an owner cannot
afford this, or if he is one who owns colts for
the pleasure of training them himself, he must
carefully study what others have done. and apply
the knowledge gained to his own colts to the best
MAKING SPEED. 41

of his ability. He must never do anything with
a colt unless he knows why he is doing it.

One of our collaborators suggests that this
chapter include a short story of the methods’ of
training some of the famous yearlings of both
the present and past. We are glad to accept this
suggestion, and find our work lessened by refer-
ence to Roland Drake’s article in the 1912 Christ-
mas number of “The Horseman.”

Airdale, 1, 2:1534, the world’s champion year-
ling trotter, was foaled in April, 1911. Before
he was weaned he had learned to eat grain and
was halter-broken. In October, 1911, he was
broken to harness, and after twelve hitchings or
less was turned out for the winter. He. was in
training. (at Lexington, Ky.) where this could be
done. Incidentally, without any effort to, “search”
the colt; he stepped an eighth in 25 seconds.
About March 1, 1912, Airdale was taken up and
shod and jogged on the road for a month; then
sent to the track for training. He was brushed
every other good day, for a short distance, to
make speed. On June 25 he was driven a half in
1:1234 and a quarter in :35, and turned out for.
a month. After his short vacation he was taken
up, and after another month’s training was driven
his first full mile in 2:50, about Aug. 25. In
the next two weeks he was given three miles better
than 2:40, the fastest in 2:2814. In the mean-
time, he had been a half in 1:0734 and a quarter
42 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

in 33 seconds. On September 18 he was started
for a record, and trotted in 2:20, A few days
later he trotted in 2:41, then 2:27. On Sept. 30
he was driven a mile in 2:2134, last half in 1 :0634,
last quarter in :3214. The next day he was given
slow jog work, and the following day (Oct. 2)
started publicly to beat 2:20, and trotted a mile
in 2:1534, breaking all yearling trotting records.
This was the last of his fast work for che year.
He was kept up and jogged for a while and let
down gradually. Airdale was broken as a wean-
ling and trained and driven as a yearling by
Hunter C. Moody, who uses the system explained
above on almost all of the colts he trains. He
does not favor leading colts beside of, or ahead
of, a pony.

Peter Volo, 1, 2:19, that was the champion
yearling trotter for about six weeks, and second
only to Airdale, was foaled April 25, 1911. He
“was weaned about October 1, and halter broken
and led beside a pony. The usual custom at the
farm where he was foaled is for colts to be
grotind broken shortly after January 1, but not
hitched in shafts until about March 1, when they
are driven through the fields barefooted.. But-in
the case of Peter Volo it was expected to sell him
at auction in May, so he was not ground broken.
but trained beside a pony in the spring. He went
to the sale, but was bid in and returned to the
farm, He was hitched to a cart for the first time
MAKING SPEED. 43

about May 15. He was practically broken the
first time he was hitched. The third time in har-
ness he was hooked to a bike cart and trotted a
quarter in 40 seconds. Before long he trotted a
quarter in 36 seconds. Note that he was broken
to drive about seven months after Airdale, but
soon stepped a faster quarter than Airdale had
trotted at the same time: About July 1 Peter
Volo was driven a mile in 2:33. In two weeks
he trotted in 2:26%, and a few days later in
2:23%. On August 16 he was started to beat
2:3014, and trotted in 2:19, lowering the world’s
yearling record, held by Miss Stokes, by one-quar-
ter of a second. Later he was driven a half in
1:06, with the last quarter in 3114 seconds. Peter
Volo was‘trained and driven by Ed Willis, who
was also responsible for Miss Stokes.

Hester C., 2:21Y%, was foaled in the spring of
1g1t. She was weaned and halter broken in the
fall, then harnessed and driven ahead of a pony,
not to make speed, but to teach her how to behave
in harness; then she was turned out, without being
hitched, shod or booted. About April 1, 1912,
she was hitched to a cart and jogged without
shoes until ready for speed work. She was given
full miles in training, not driven any extremely
fast quarters or halves, as her trainer (Henry
Williams) believed they take too much out of a
colt. She took her record at Lexington on Octo-
ber 11, 1912.
44 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Wickliffe Curry, who has given records to more
yearlings than anyone except Moody, halter
breaks as soon as colts are weaned, then has them
shod and leads them beside a pony. He ‘boots
his colts for protection. After being led a few
times, he ground-breaks them, and later on, dur-
ing the winter months, they are hitched and
broken to drive. The speed making comes in the
spring. Stewart Chandler handles his colts in
much the same way as Curry.

Previous to Peter Volo, the champion yearling
trotter was Miss Stokes, 1, 2:19144, that was
trained by Ed Willis in his usual manner, as pre-
viously outlined. —

Previous to Peter Volo, the champion yearling
trotting stallion, was Wilbur Lou 2:19%, devel-
oped by the late Frank H. Holloway, of Hemet
Stock Farm, Hemet, Calif. Wilbur Lou was
weaned and halter-broken in the month of De-
cember, 1909. When he was nicely halter-broken,
he was bitted and ground broken for about a
month. He was then hitched and driven a few
times, and then turned out. On the 2oth of April
he was taken up again and driven for several
days before being shod with 6 oz. half round
shoes in front, and 4 oz. plain shoes behind. The
next day he stepped an eighth in :30%4, two days
later in :28%4, and two weeks later in :2214' sec-
onds. Up to this time he had not been asked to
go further than an eighth of a mile, and in
MAKING SPEED. 45

working was not turned around, but kept on going
the same way of the track. For the next two
weeks, he was repeated quarters every other day.
He made speed so fast that through the month
of June he was worked only once a week. The
25th of June he trotted a quarter in 39%4 seconds,
with an eighth in 18 seconds. He was not worked
again until the 6th of July, and on through that
month was brushed quarters’ twice a week. July
29th he trotted a quarter in 36%, an eighth in
1744. August Ist he was worked his first mile
in 2:55, last quarter in 39 seconds. August 5th,
2:45; August oth, 2:421%4, last quarter in, 3634;
August 12th, 2:37%4, last quarter in 36. On
August 16th he was brushed quarters, one in
3534, and one-eighth in 1744; August 2oth, mile
in 2:50; August 25th, mile in 2:40%4; Sept. Ist,
mile in 2:30%; Sept. 8th, mile in 2:281%4; Sept.
12th, 2:45; Sept. 16th, mile 2:33%; Sept.
19th, mile 2:2734, last quarter in :36. All
this work was over the farm half mile track. The
last mile was 644 seconds faster than the world’s
half-mile-track yearling trotting record made the
same year by Benear. This concluded-his work
at home, as he was shipped to Phoenix, Arizona,
where he got his record. His first workout on
a mile track was in 2:24%4. A few days later,
on Nov. 8th, he trotted a public mile in 2:23,
equaling Adbell’s record. Three days later he
trotted in 2:19%4, with the quarters in :3434,
46 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

13434, :36 and :35. The same system was used
on Harry R. (1) 2:24% and Hemet, p., (3)
2:08.

Previous to Miss Stokes, the world’s champion
yearling was Adbell, 2:23, that took his record at
San Jose, Calif., Sept. 27, 1894, driven by Walter
Maben, although his speed was developed by John
S. Phippen. We know little about the method
in which his speed was made. His first start was
on Aug. 17, when he won a dash on a bad day
and on a slow track in 2:28, a new record for a.
yearling colt in a race. On Aug. 27, in another
dash, he won in 2:26, further reducing the. -year-
ling race record, and also the yearling stallion
record of Athadon, 2:27. On Sept. 27 he trotted
a mile against time in 2:23, quarters in :36, :36.
3554, :3574.

Previous to Adbell, the champion yearling trot-
ting stallions were Athadon, 2:27, driven by Matt
Dwyer at Stockton, Calif., Nov. 28, 1891, and
Freedom, 2:2934, driven by John A. Goldsmith.
at Napa, Calif., Oct. 18, 1890.

Previous to Adbell, the champion yearling trot-
ters, without regard to sex, were: Pansy Mc-
Gregor, 2:2334, driven by O. M. Keets at Hor-
ton, Kas., Nov. 18, 1893; Frou Frou, 2:25%4,
driven by Millard Sanders, at Stockton, Calif.,
Nov. 28, 1891; Bell Bird, 2 :26%, driven by
Charles Marvin, at Stockton, Calif., Oct. 21,
MAKING SPEED. 47

1891; then Freedom, 2:2934, already mentioned,
the first yearling to trot in 2:30.

Charles Marvin, the great colt trainer of his
day, drove three yearling champions to their rec-
ords: Hinda Rose, 2:36% (1881), Norlaine,
2:31%4 (1887) and Bell Bird, 2:264 (1891). '

We quote from Marvin’s book, which describes
the training of Norlaine. With less than .a
month’s preparation, she reduced the world’s rec-
ord for her age 4% seconds:

“From the day that Hinda Rose made her record
of 2:36%4 in 1881 there was no yearling produced in
America to threaten that record until the season of
1887, and as long as it was not menaced we made
no effort to improve it. But a surprise caine from
Kentucky in the year last mentioned, when the deeds

of Sudie D. made her famous. * * * ° George
Bowerman started her at Lexington, October 15th;
and she went the mile in 2:3534. When the news
arrived that the Palo Alto yearling record had been
eclipsed we at once set to work to bring the honor
back. The time was short, and we had to pick a
good one of our youngsters and push development
at high pressure. The most forward of our yearlings
‘was -the filly Norlaine, by Norval: (present ‘record
2:17%),. out of Elaine, -2:20—the fast mare by Mes-
senger Duroc, out of Green Mountain Maid. whose
history I have already given. She was a rather dull
brown in color, a trifle pony-built in some respects.
hut with a long, low-set body, short sloping hip of
the pacing formation, and low at the withers. Her
legs and feet were of the best quality, and she had
a level head. Norlaine was not impressive in ap-
pearance until ‘you saw her go. She was always
fast from her first lesson on the miniature track, and
I began working her in April, but gave her only the
easiest of work, as the intention was not to start
her until she was: two years old. But Sudie D.’s
brilliant performance in October changed all - this,
48 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

and I then began training the filly in earnest, work-
ing her twice a day. In doing this, of cotirse, I took
chances of injuring her, and, indeed, of breaking her
down. Had we begun earlier she could have beer
given more work, and could have been developed to
a higher point, with little or no risk, but we never
allow such considerations to stand in the way when
the suprematy of Palo Alto in colt records is at
stake. . The filly took her hard work with relish, and
improved under it until November 12th, when we
felt that she was equa] to the task of plucking the
fresh laurels from Sudie D.’s brow. The trial was
made at the Bay Distgict track, San Francisco, and
she trotted the mile in 2:311%, a yearling record that
has a good chance to last as long as Hinda Rose’s.
The time by quarters was :39, :36, :38, :3814.”

We will quote also from Marvin’s description
of Hinda Rose’s training:

“Hinda Rosa was our first youngster that earned
fame at_the early period of yearling form. She was
foaled February 22, 1880,:and is a brown mare, by
Electioneer, out of Beautiful Bells, 2:2934. *° *
She was well broken early, and in her yearling fem
I began working her. -Her serious training began
July 5, 1881; IT had now gotten well into the Palo
Alto system of training, and could work the new
fangled ideas pretty skillfully. She was worked on
the method described in chapters' further ‘on, until
November 5th; the date of her first public perform-
ance. The yearling record was then 2:5634, and at
the Bay District Track a set of harness was offered
to yearlings to trot against this record. The first
trial was made by the filly Pride, by Buccaneer,
owned by Count Valensin, and driven by John Gold-
smith, who -has since handled Guy Wilkes, Sable
Wilkes and other horses so successfully for Mr.
Corbitt. Pride made the mile in 2:44. I then drove
Hinda Rose and she went from wire to wire in
2:43%. On the 24th we gave her another trail, when
she went in 2:36%, and this stood as the yearling
record until 1888, when it was lowered successfully
by the Kentucky filly, Sudie D., and our lost. Palo
Alto star, Norlaine.”
MAKING SPEED. 49

(Note.—The reader will note a reference to the training paddock
system used at Palo Alto Farm. This was an improvement over
‘the ordinary paddock. Corners were rounded off, so that when colts
were chased around they would not trot up into a corner and
stop. Later two covered tracks were constructed, one 313 feet
in circumference, the other 506 feet around. After the colts
were thoroughly halter broken they were turned into these tracks
and chased about to develop their speed. ‘The Palo Alto miniature
track system had quite a vogue, as did the other old-time plan of
hitching a colt by the side of a runner, but both methods have
practically gone out of use.)

Edna the Great, 2:2914, former champion year-
ling trotter on a half-mile track, was trained and
driven by Dr. W. A. Barber, a‘dentist of Spring-
field, Ohio, who finds | recreation in horses. The
following is his own story:

“Edna proved to be a bear-cat to subdue, be-
ing unbroken when I bought her early in her yearling
form. We found it necessary to pad her stall with
baled ‘straw, in order that she would not do injury
to herself in her attempts to get away from her tor-
mentors. Halter breaking and bitting required all of
April and a portion of May before we hitched her.
She was a broncho when we hitched her. The brush
system was not used, as she had all the speed on
tap that was‘necessary. She was low in flesh and
gentle exercise was all that we aimed to give her for
the next few weeks. She was hitched daily for a
couple of weeks at a time, then a run in the paddock
-for a few days and she began to take on flesh. With
an abundance of feed, plenty of grass and a tonic
to tone up her system, we started in to give her a
mile every morning, very slow at first, with a brush
home, gradually increasing the distance that she was
stepped at speed until we were going a pretty fair
quarter in almost every workout, keeping always in
mind not to ask her for more than she could do
well within herself, never at any time did I carry
her to the extreme limit of her effort, or to the
point of exhaustion. The chief thing in the training
of Edna the Great was to be able to say ‘whoa’ often
enough, as she had ambition enough to try to beat
any horse on the track. It was not very long before
she began to go miles. A mile around three minutes
seemed a romp for her, and she was given a mile
50 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

every morning that we had favorable weather con-
ditions, with a brush at the end of the mile. A little
later in her work we began to take her down to the
eighth pole at a good, stiff clip, then ease her up
to within a short distance of the wire and let her
step a short distance at the end of the mile.

“She was worked very early in the morning in
order that she would have a light rub, and then
walked through the dewy grass and allowed to have
a good lunch of grass; and made an effort to have
her legs well bathed in the cool dew each morning
when it was at all possible. She never had a bandage
on, and her legs or her general physical condition
would not indicate that she had ever worn harness.

“She was gradually dropped down in her work
to the 2:40 mark and beat that notch upon two oc-
casions prior to her record mile. One mile was in
2:33, with the last half in 1:10. On the 29th day of
August, at the Columbus, O., State Fair Grounds,
upon a track that was exceedingly slow due to rainy
weather, she was sent against the record of 2:34%
made by Benear at Goshen, N.-Y., with the result
well known to all that love the American trotter.

“Wer shoeing and rigging was of the simplest kind;
in front ‘she wore a 4%4-oz. shoe, no toe weight at
any time, with a short toe, ‘and behind she wore a
shoe as light as could be made to afford sufficient
protection to her feet.

“Her harness was plain, breast collar, blind bridle
with a nose band attached to a standing martingale,
and carried her head levél with her body. Her boots
were the lightest that I could procure and she never
showed any marks on them.”

The present champion yearling trotter over a
half-mile track is U. Forbes. Despite a sticky
track and high wind he trotted a mile in 2:21%,
driven by Hunter C. Moody, at Louisville, Ky.,
September 17, 1913. The colt was sent away
slow, first eighth in :1934. The next eighth was
in 17 seconds, making the quarter in :3634. The
MAKING SPEED. 51

next quarter was in :33)4 (a 2:13 gait), making
the half in 1:10. The next quarter was in :35%4
and home in :36.

 

 

 

 

Peter Volo, 2:04% (in 1913). World’s Champion Two-year-old Trotter.
52 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Chapter 1V—Shoeing Colts.
By Dr. Jack SEITER.

 

HEN shoeing a colt I have
found that a study of the gait
of its parents, when possible,
is of great assistance, for, in
correcting a fault, it is well
to know whether it is individ-
ual or hereditary. And before

going into the subject of this chapter I wish to

register a note of warning as regards heredity of
gait. How often have I seen a breeder attempt to
produce a colt of good conformation, by crossing

a horse of excellent structure (one with which

the most exacting judge of horse flesh could find

no fault) with a spindle-legged, knee-knocking
mare, simply because she was well bred, or had

‘considerable speed. Naturally he figured that the

stallion would predominate in this union, and the

colt would be of the desired conformation. I

have seen this mistake made year after year. The

influence of heredity (for bad as well as good)
can not be better illustrated. The result is usually

a leaning toward the bad; the colt is almost always

an animal of faulty conformation in one or more

points. Naturally this condition will also exist if

we reverse the order of things; and cross an ill

structured stallion with a perfectly developed

PT
Pa fed = (el
a

Tintin

 

 

 

 
SHOEING COLTS. 53

mare. The bad will almost always crop out in
preference to the good. If more attention were
paid to the conformation of both the sire and the
dam, we would not be obliged to cope with the
large number of misfit animals that are raced to-
day. It is not uncommon to hear some of our best
horsemen make the remark, that “such a colt has
license to be very fast, but he hits his knees, he
toes out with one foot,” or some other malforma-
tion handicaps him from being a world beater.
After several years of training, during which time
the horse shoers and the boot makers derive
enough money out of him to buy a good animal,
the colt is given up as a bad racing prospect. If
a filly, she is retired to the broodmare ranks, to
produce more of the same type; if a stallion, to do
stud service, to fill the country with more trouble
makers of the sort that drive prospective owners
out of the game. But this thing has been going on
for ages, and the chances are that it will continue
as long as the breeders insist on breeding their
“pets,”’ regardless of conformation, expecting to
get perfectly developed animals, that .will do to
race and to fix a type of race horse. Many promi-
nent stallions, standing at high fees, have been
handicapped because wealthy horsemen would in-
sist on breeding their worn-out favorite road
mares to the stallion then in the lime-light-—Axtell
and Bingen are recalled as two examples and there
are many more.
54 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

First Trip to the Blacksmith.

When the colt arrives at the age of two months
its feet should be examined carefully. If dressing
is needed feet should be attended to at this time.
Just as a human baby becomes bow-legged, the colt
is liable to be foaled with, or acquire, a faulty con-
formation. If the toes are excessively long, they
must be shortened; if: the heels are abnormally
high, they must be cut down; and if the foot
shows more growth on one side than the other,
the high side should be trimmed down far enough
so that the lower side will also receive its share
of the weight and bearing. If the colt shows the
slightest inclination of being deformed, knock-
kneed, or toes otit, we must dress down the out-
side-of the hoof, especially the otitside toe, and it
is also advisable, in cases of this kind, to rasp off
the edges of the wall at the outer toe, enough to
reduce it to the same thickness as the inner one.
By following these instructions, atleast once a
month, one-can work wonders with a foot of this
type. Under no consideration should one apply a
knife. to the sole, bars or frog of the foot. Ex-
cessive cleaning out of the feet is not advisable,
either; naturally we must look after the cleanli-
ness of the feet, but, unless there are positive
signs of thrush, one must not go to extremes, such
as the free use of the foot pick, which is often
the cause of forcing filth into the cleft of the
frog and the bars, whereas, if the parts are left
SHOEING COLTS. 55

intact and filled up with the natural growth of
horn that nature provided, it will become almost
impossible for the seat of the trouble to become
infected. In case of thrush one must not go to
extremes in an endeavor to cure it, and cut away
the bars and frog. One must try and save all of
the frog that is not' infected, consequently only the
ragged edges should be removed, for, by carving
out the healthy portions of the frog or bars, we
only invite future trouble, in the form of contrac-
tion. In the majority of cases the knife is entirely
unnecessary, but a good washing out with warm
water, to which a good antiseptic solution has
been added, will remove the trouble. After this,
the foot must be thoroughly dried, generally it will
dry out naturally in a few minutes. Then the
parts involved, the cleft of the frog and sur-
rounding bars, must' be packed with some good
antiseptic powder; it is a good plan to force some
cotton or oakum into the crevices to hold the
powder in place. Several'treatments of this kind
generally suffice to cure the most stubborn case of,
thrush. But, as in all other afflictions that horse
flesh falls heir to, an ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure.
Care in Dressing Hind Feet.

In dressing the hind feet, it is, as a rule, advis-
able to keep the toes short and well rounded off,
but the conformation must never be lost sight of.
If there is the slightest sign of curby hocks, we
56 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

can not cut the toes too short, nor keep the heels
too high, and where there is a strong predisposi-
tion to this unsoundness, early shoeing is strongly
recommended, the shoe to be square toed and set
back from the toe, the heels of the shoe to be of
a good length and a heel calk turned up on them.
Now, the above are simple rules, so simple, in
fact, that they are known alike by the humble
stable boy and the prosperous owner, but we
often overlook small details; consequently, the
oftener we are reminded of them, the more apt
we will be to remember them. If we overlook the
most minute detail, which goes to build up the
animal, we will have a: weakness somewhere, and
the chain is as strong as its weakest link only.
With the above precautions and attentions ever
before us, we will have the proper sort of a foot
to work on, when the time arrives for the first
shoeing. The first shoes should be applied for
protection only, consequently they must be as light
and thin as possible, and the nail holes as few as
possible, and punched toward the toe, to allow for
the natural expansion of the foot. The foot must
be leveled with the rasp only, no knife
should be allowed to mutilate the sole, the bars,
or the frog; if we leave these structures intact,
and apply a thin shoe, we do not rob the frog of
its function, that of acting as a cushion, not only
to the foot, but to the limb as well. The frog is
SHOEING COLTS. 57

the one thing that we can depend upon to. keep
the foot in its natural elastic state, the sole and
bars depend upon the frog to furnish them with
moisture, and they in turn, when pliable, protect
the structures that are above them. If the frog
and bars are left intact, as nature intended they
should be, we will not be troubled with contrac-
tion, and its sequels, such as corns and quarter
cracks. The frog takes care of the entire foot,
there is no substitute, that man has discovered as
yet, that will take the place of the. good, healthy,
unmutilated frog as a moisture secreting organ,
and never under any conditions, should it be cut
into. It is permissible to trim off the ragged
edges, and rightly, too, but there are few, indeed,
who can resist the temptation to cut off just a
little more than is necessary—the idea being to
give the frog a symmetrical appearance—to make
it take on the appearance of some of the pictures
we occasionally see labeled—a natural foot. The
fact of the matter is, that a natural foot, un-
touched by the hand of man, or his misery pro-
ducing tools, is about as unsymmetrical a piece of
handiwork as the Creator ever endowed an ani-
mal with, yet we attempt to make a model shaped
organ out of this crude appearing mass of sensi-
tive and insensitive tissue. It is not desirable to
interfere with the growth of the foot at all, outside
of shortening the wall sufficiently to enable us to
get a good level bearing for the shoe. The frog, bars
58 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

and sole should not be touched; the more sole we
leave, the less danger of bruises and corns we will
‘have to contend with; the more frog bearing we
can obtain, the less jar and concussion the foot
and limb are subject to, and the less corns and
quarter cracks we are liable to have and we pre-
serve the natural moisture. This evaporates the
moment we apply a knife and open the cells or
pores.

Hard Frog Unnatural.

An animal will go lame if it steps on a pebble or
a rock, especially if the sole, bars and frog have
_ been excessively pared out. A frog that has been
trimmed to the extent of robbing it of its natural
function and trimmed so it is forever kept off of
the ground, will dry up.and become as hard as a
‘piece of stone. Most horsemen will admit that a
stone will bruise a foot, but it is difficult for some
to realize that a dried-up frog is just as hard as a
stone. The fact of the matter is, they both do
the same damage to the foot, with this slight dif-
‘ference, the stone acts on the sole only, whereas.
the hard frog acts on the sensitive structures that
underly it, the fatty frog, the preforans tendon,
where it runs over the navicular bone to find its
attachment on the semi-lunar ridge of the coffin
bone and above this the nacivular bone. Can
the frog protect those parts when it is robbed of
the power to do so? Well hardly.
SHOEING COLTS. 59

3s GE.

“No foot, no horse,’ “no frog, no foot,’ are
two true sayings, consequently we must consider
the frog to be a link in the chain in order to
have a perfect working animal, all parts must
work in unison; if only one and the most insig-
nificant structure is out of order, we are in
trouble. The chain has a weak link, consequently
it matters not how powerful, speedy or game an
animal is, when the crucial test arrives, the en-
tire structure will be found to be no stronger
than its weakest organ.

We hate to be told the truth. We do not like
to have the little things that go to build up the
large ones drilled into us, and the majority of
horsemen, upon reading’ the above, will say: We
know that much ourselves.. Certainly you do—
but it’s the things that we know the most about,
that we grow careless of; we are too anxious to
learn something new, consequently forget the old
and fundamental principles of our work. For
instance, if a horse becomes lame, it» matters not
where, we look for something to cure the lame-
ness, a hot iron, or a liniment that may be still
hotter. We do not understand the action of
them, but they are the things we invariably go
after; instead of looking after the little things,
things we understand, things that are the direct
cause of our troubles, and if any one should en-
deavor to explain them to us, we would exclaim,
“Why, I know that much myself,” Certainly you
60 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

do, but why don’t you use your knowledge before
you are in trouble?
Changes in Colt’s Gait.

The changes that take place in a colt’s gait,
after being shod, are due, to a great: extent, to
the abnormal changes that the structure of the
foot often has to undergo, changes that are not
due to the ignorance of the persons in charge so
much as to the carelessless. In a natural foot, the
sole is perfectly flat, the frog, the bars and
the sole all have an equal bearing upon the
ground. If we take off just enough of the
wall to get a level bearing surface for the shoe,
and then apply a thin strip of steel, the thickness
not to exceed’ the amount of wall we have taken
.off, we will shoe according to nature, or as near as
possible to nature; of course it is to be understood
that the bars, sole and frog are left intact. But
here is the general procedure: the sole is carved
out, the bars are also cut out, and the frog is cut
away and shaped up, then a shoe is applied that is
usually from a quarter to a half inch thick. The
moment this shoe is applied, the sole, frog and
bars are robbed of their functions as weight car-
riers and concussion destroyers, they dry out and
become atrophied, and as hard as a stone. The
colt is worked, and goes well for the time being,
but after a few weeks he shows signs of going
rather short gaited, does not extend himself as he
should, or as he did when first shod. Again he is
SHOEING COLTS. 61

taken to the shop; we all know what the orders
will be, do not take a thing off his feet, and apply
a still heavier—and naturally thicker—shoe in an
effort to improve the action. In this manner the
frog and sole are still further elevated from the
ground which nature intended it should come in
contact with at every step. After this change, we
have, following in rapid succession, the dropping
in of the quarters, contraction of the feet, fol-
lowed by corns and quarter cracks, and, also, the
foundation is laid for that dreaded of all foot
troubles, navicular disease. When the hard, atro-
phied frog comes in contact with a stone or a, rock,
and the sensitive structures that it is supposed to
protect, with its rubber-like elasticity, are bruised,
then there will loom up in the near future, a
bloodshot sole, a bruised tendon or navicular
disease. ,
A Natural Dressed Foot.

When the foot is dressed in the proper manner,
and, after it is shod, receives the proper attention
and care—it is just as essential, or more so, to keep
the feet of a colt soft and pliable, as it is to be-
stow that care on a race horse—it will be found
that not one-half of the weight usually applied is
necessary to balance a colt. Now this may seem a
broad statement to make, but it is a fact, as I have
discovered during twenty years’ work with light
harness horses, and considerable of that time was
spent shoeing colts and taking care of their feet,
62 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

on some of the most prominent stock farms in the
country, and farms are the ideal school for any
one interested in this work. No, what I say is not
theory, but fact, as the average horseman or
horseshoer is well aware. They all know better,
but they often overlook the small details, looking
for the larger ones. Instead of getting at the seat
of the trouble, the cause as it were, and removing
it, they entirely overlook it in their endeavor to
correct gait with new-fangled shoes, toe weights,
pads, bits, straps, and the like.

REPLYING TO AN INQUIRY.

Dear Sir: In a recent issue of The Horseman your advice on colt
shoeing was to let the frog, sole and bars have ground bearing, so
they would perform their natural duties and retain a healthy con-
dition. Now we find cases where such would be impossible’and what
I wish to know is this, if the wall, sole, frog, and bars were rasped
perfectly flat and a perfectly flat disk of steel, shoe shape, was
nailed on, would bad results follow from concussion on sole, bars, or
frog. or all three? In case of open heeled shoeing should pressure
be allowed between sole and shoe inside of lamni? I ask this because
our shoer forbids the least sole pressure and another says without it,
the wall will be split loose from the foot.—L. E., Calif.

The horse in its natural state has an equal amount of
frog, bar and sole bearing along with the wall bearing,
and in nine cases out of ten the average race horse, after
wearing his shoes for several weeks, will be found to have
the same bearing distributed over the entire surface of
the hoof, especially is this the case when the shoe is made
of very thin material and devoid of calks. Cases are rare,
{ndeed, where the sole does not grow down after a few
weeks of shoeing, so that it is perfectly even with the
wall, and shoe, it matters not how much of an effort we
may make to prevent or avoid this condition by excessive
paring out the sole, the bars and the frog.

It is not good policy to attempt to rasp the wall, sole
and frog perfectly flat; but it is good practice to rasp the
sole, wall and bars level, but in all cases we must strive to
preserve the frog, every particle of it. It matters not how
much froz pressure we obtain, the more the better. This
idea, or rather notion, that we save the sole and frog from
concussion by cutting them away so that they cannot
SHOEING COLTS. 63

come in contact with the ground is all nonsense, pure and
simple. )

If an animal were not supposed to have frog and sole
pressure, why is it almost the universal rule of all of our
foremost drivers and horsemen to invariably shoe with
a leather pad under the shoe and then pack the space be-
tween the sole of the foot and the pad with hoof ointment
and then lay several layers of oakum.upon it? This is gen-
erally packed in as snug as possible. Do they not do this
to avoid concussion by distributing the blow of the foot,
as it hits the ground, over the entire sole surface? Cer-
tainly they do, otherwise what would be the use of the pad
and packing? Would it not be just as well to carve out
the frog, sole and bars and then not use the leather and
packing? It may do, to the theory of some, but if there
were any merit in this procedure, why do not the leading
horsemen shoe in this manner? ,

The old-time trotting horse men, and shoers, too, can
vouch for the fact that the old-timers were more in favor
ef paring out the soles of their horses feet, in fact a far-
rier’s reputation depended to quite an extent upon his
ability to do a nice job of paring. By this is meant to see
hew much of the frog, sole and bars he really could cut
out without drawing blood.. But history tells us that the
eld-time racer invariably had foot trouble of some sort
or other, generally corns, quarter cracks and toe cracks
were common, and contraction and its subsequent sequel,
the dreaded navicular disease. There is no denying the
fact that excessive paring of the sole ultimately hastens
the above named foot diseases.

If our colts had their feet dressed in the proper manner
from colthood up and were shod according to nature, the
entire structure would be pliable, as nature intended it~
should be, without artificial hoof packings and oils, and as
it is when untouched by the hand of man.

No one ever saw a hard frog or sole in the foot of an
animal that had plenty of frog and sole pressure. The
action of the frog supplies the needed expansion to the
hoof at every step and this action necessarily keeps the
bars and sole in constant activity and consequently pliable
and resistant, to concussion. ,

In all the schools for farriers, especially those of the
foreign countries (and there is no denying the fact that
they are far advanced and pay more attention to the foot
of the horse than we do, as a general rule) students are
64 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

taught to dress the foot with a rasp only. In our own
army the rules say, you must not, under any consideration,
touch the sole, the frog, or the bars of the feet with a
knife. In the veterinary colleges (very few, 1 am sorry to
state, make any pretense of giving this all important
structure its due share of study) they also teach us
that by applying a knife to the sole, bars and frog of the
foot we rob it of its natural function and elasticity and its
natural moisture secreting qualities.

If a foot is dressed perfectly’ flat and the frog and bars
are left in their natural state, the chances for concussion
are remote indeed. The foot lands upon the heels. The
frog. if in its natural state, breaks the concussion. There
is no further chance for concussion after the foot comes
in contact with the ground, for after it strikes the ground
on the heels and frog the rest of the movement is simply
a continuation of a roll until the foot again leaves the
sround. .

Years ago, especially in the old countries, the Charlier
shoe (named, no doubt, after its inventor), or more often
a “tip” after the same pattern, was widely used. It was
made out of very narrow material and instead of being
hailed upon the wall of the foot, as is the custom now in
vogue, there was a groove cut out of the wall extending in
and up for about three-eighths of an inch, depending upon
the size and strength of the wall, and into this groove was
fitted the shoe, or plate. When the job was completed the
sole, frog and bars were left intact, in identically the same
manner as though the animal were bare-footed, the function
of the shoe being merely to prevent breakage of the wall.

This shoe was and is successfully used on hunters and
jumpers. Our trotters have only their own weight to
carry and the concussion naturally depends greatly upon
the action of the animal. But when we take a hunter and
put a hundred and fifty pounds, or more, upon: his back
and then ask him to take a four or five-foot fence, it can
readily be seen that the possibilities for concussion are
greatly magnified, yet we hardly ever hear of one of this
kind being laid up on account of bruised feet.

In England they have races for ponies that stand
fourteen hands high. In order not to exceed this heighth
it is often necessary. to go to extremes in dressing the feet,
the wall, at times, being rasped considerably lower than
the sole, and then the thinnest possible piece of steel is
SHOEING COLTS. 65

applied, often the Charlier shoe or ‘‘tip’’ being used. I have
it from reliable information that invariahly the feet of
these ponies that undergo this shortening process are the
best and are free from corns, bruises and quarter ‘cracks.

I know of a large teaming stable in Chicago, the owner
of which is a graduate veterinarian, and he tells me that
the best feet on many of his horses are those that occa-
sionally lose a shoe while on the road, his orders to the
drivers being, drive to the nearest shop and have an old
flat Shoe tacked on to the foot, and do not allow the smith
to dress the foot in any way. Especially is the use of the
Knife forbidden. Those horses travel over the rock paved
streets on their frogs, bars and soles, they do not go lame
or sore, simply because those parts are left intact and
able to perform their duty as nature intended they should.

Of what use is a pad under a light shoe? Some say a
pad covering the foot and packed with oakum only adds to
the concussion of the sole. Others say it breaks concus-~
sion, so there you are. I believe that outside of holding
moisture to keep the sole of the foot soft that pads are,
in most cases, unnecessary. If the foot were dressed as it
ought to be from the beginning, and the sole, frog and
bars left intact, the use of pads; especially the full pad,
could be dispensed with. The structures named would
secrete sufficient moisture naturally, that is if they ‘are
permitted to fulfill. their function as weight carriers and
concussion destroyers. I believe that where a pad is indi-
cated, on account of the track being extremely hard, the
rim pad of very thin leather will answer the purpose very
well. The animal would get along better yet if we left
just a trifle more sole and wall. There is just about as
much elasticity in the natural sole and wall as we could
expect to find in the average leather pad.

To sum up; I believe, in fact I know from experience,
that if we dress the foot of the colt in this manner and
keep the wall dressed down at regular intervals, and then
follow the same principle when we shoe him, we will
have considerably less of the common ailments that the
foot falls heir to.

On the other hand, I would not advise taking an animal,
especially an aged one, that has had its frog, bars and sole
trimmed out until they were thin enough to give under the
pressure of the thumb, and where the frog is dried up and
shrunk out of all semblance of a natural frog, and the foot
66 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

is contracted and hard, and attempt to drop this sort of a
sole and frog upon the ground, certainly it would not be
advisable unless the feet were well softened first, and horse
then turned out into some placé where the footing was
soft. When a condition as this presents itself, it is best to
dress the foot down in gradual stages.

I never heard of a case where sole pressure lamed an
animal, nor have I ever heard of a wall splitting loose
from the foot for the want of sole pressure. Of course
there are exceptions to all cases, but generally when we
find rare cases of this sort there may have been a hundred
‘and one different causes that have brought them on, causes
that probably seem too insignificant for the average horse-
man, or horseshoer, to notice in their incipiency.

 

 

Colorado E,, 2:04% (in 1910),, World’s Champion Three-year-old
Trotter,
SHOEING COLTS. ‘ 67

Chapter V—Preparing for Two-year-old

Futurities.

E HAVE written of the care

and training of. the colt from
the day it is foaled till the
time: when it is desired to
“make speed.” We assumed
that the speed-making was to
be done in the colt’s yearling
‘form—we have even shown how colts are
worked for yearling records. If it is not desired
to make speed in a yearling, this part of the colt’s
education may be postponed a year or two, at the
owner’s option, but even if colt is not to be raced
until its aged form it is desirable to “make speed”
while it is young and impfessionable, for the colt
will be easier to train later.. This chapter is to be
devoted to preparing two-year-olds for the futuri-
ties. By this we do not mean to advise that all
two-year-olds be prepared with that purpose in
view, but in case it is desired to train a two-year-
old this chapter will be found to contain valuable
hints from noted trainers.

In many cases the two-year-old that is to be
trained for the futurities. will have been running
out during the winter, especially in southern clim-
ates. Some trainers, of whom J. B. Chandler’is
one, do not believe that colts that are to be trained
for-the two-year-old futurities should be turned

 

 

 

 

mit MMM

 
68 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.
I

out at all, but should be kept up all winter, and
carefully fed, perhaps jogged a little, and occasion-
ally turned out in a paddock. Even if turned out
in the fall, it is advisable to take the colt up
early (some advise January 1) so that it will be-
come well-muscled and hardened in flesh before
the spring speed-work commences.

Almost every trainer has a different way of
working colts, some give no jog work at all (only
brushing), some jog a great deal, and others com-
bine or alternate jogging and brushing. We will
illustrate the various methods by citing specific
cases.

‘One prominent horseman, who usually trains in
the South and who is too modest to allow the use
of his name, writes: “We begin as early as possi-
ble and jog and brush otrr two-year-olds, begin~
ning with two mile jogs which include two or three
brushes of % mile. These jogs are gradually in-
creased in length and speed until we are jogging
four miles and brushing quarters. Then we begin
working miles around 3:30 three times a week,
dropping down two seconds a week until we are
going miles in 2:40, when we begin repeating. Now
we work miles in 3:00 and another one in the same
time. We gradually reduce the time of both miles
according to how the colts progress. We do-not
work three heat repeats until about two weeks
before we expect to race, and not at all if we do
not expect to start.”
SHOEING COLTS. 69

t

J. B. Chandler writes: “I.do not believe in jog
work for two-year-olds. I only brush my colts.
When the colt gets so-he can brush a quarter in 32
seconds then I commence working miles. I be-
lieve in working colts in training a little every good
day. I start in miles about as fast as the colt can
go without tiring and let the colt drop himself
down at successive workouts as he learns to trot.
When you have speed enough (a man will have
to judge for himself) you can commence working
two-heat repeats. I do not believe in three-heat
repeats for two-year-olds.”

Amos Whiteley writes: “It is my opinion that
two-year-olds should never be prepared for futuri-
ties of that age. We bring our two-year-olds
along, commencing with them abot the Ist of
April of their ‘two-year-old form, and go right
along mannering and jogging them for the ‘first
thirty days ; then we commence making speed with
them for short distances, say..a sixteerith to an
eighth-of a mile, and keep brushing them for about
sixty days. We never give them any full miles
where they can step, but we do brush them quar-
ters, give them slow miles, stepping them the last
quarter. What we want is goed three-year-olds,
four-year-olds, and five-year-olds, and we do not
approve of over-developing them as two-year-
olds.”

Dr. W. A. Barber writes: “I believe in starting
early with a two-year-old, say January 1, so as to
70 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

harden: it.up:for the brush work’ later. I
believe:in jogging every good day, but as to how’
much.of it, that depends.on the colt. Many. colts
take as much work as an aged horse and thrive on
‘it. .I-begin working. heats as soon-as weather and
‘trackget’good inthe spring. I work every other
iday; at first, if colt is strong, starting in with miles
from 3:30 to 3:50:and drop down very gradually.
T.begingiving slow repeats within 40 days after
working a-full mile, the first one very slow; the
second: ane the. sarhe to past the: three-quarters,
with a brush home. I néver-give three-heat re-
‘peats-until within a few weeks: ot first Snes
ment.” =: | ae

. James Benyon writes: “An the colts T have been
wenbectsd with were worked a little in the fall as a
yearling and jogged all winter...In my opinion, a
colt should be taken up in its two-year-old form as
soon as possible. A colt has everything 'to learn
‘and the more chance you get to’ school him or: her,
tye more‘it 15 bound to learn. The colt should be
jogged: every day that is favorable. I never jog a
two-year-old over three ‘miiles and the next day
after working one I usually jog only two miles.
We start working them one-heat, every other day,
from the middle of March, when the weather -per-
mits. How fast the colt should be worked at first
depends entirely on how fast the colt is. “We
usually go very slow miles and step the last eighth
‘or quarter near its limit, say. miles around 3:00
SHOEING COLTS. 71

to 3:30 to start on.. I would drop a colt from
3:00 in the latter part of March to 2:30 by the first
of May. Commence to repeat colt when you-cut
down to 2:30, that is by fore part of May.. When
we start repeating we usually go the first heat in
2:40 to 2:45 and second heat in 2:30 to 2:35.
About dropping one down, I can give you my idea
from Sweet Alice’s work as a two-year-old. She
worked in 2:30 about May roth, went from there
to 2:25 by June 5th. Was working her three heat
repeats by May: 20th. Two heats the forepart of
week .and three the latter part, altogether five
heats a week. She went in 2:22 by June.zoth,
going seven heats a week then, three first of: week
and four latter part. During Grand Rapids meet
she worked in 2:19, at Kalamazoo two. heats. the
same day in 2:19%4 and 2:19, at Detroit.two miles
in 2:17% and 2:17, at Cleveland two. miles in
2:18 and 2:16%. Then went to the post the next’
week at Pittsburgh. This is about all I can tell
about working colts. You can seldom, work any
.two colts alike because you seldom see two of the
same kind, some want more work and some don’t
need as much. Some want to be brushed. a lot
and others need very little brushing.”
Ed F. Geers writes: “Two-year-old colts shoula
be taken up in February, if possible, and jogged
two or three miles every day, except Sunday.
After the colt is seasoned he should be’ brushed
a little every other day at three-quarter speed.
~
te

CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

After working him a month or six weeks that
way, he could go an easy mile, twice a week, let-
ting him move a little strong at the finish. Along
in June, after having several-of these easy miles,
he might be repeated, well: within himself, finish-
ing a little strong through the stretch. Drop him
down a couple of .seconds every week. Three or
four weeks before his race I would give him three
heat repeats to key him up for his race. Care
should be taken not to tire the colt ; the main thing
is to keep him cheerful. Use an easy bit, handle
his mouth gently, and have him drive good and
straight on the bit.”

Roy Miller writes: ‘“A two-year-old should be
jogged every clear day, except. Sunday, from three
to six miles, or enough to keep him quiet. After
four or six weeks commence giving him slow miles
every .other day, with a skip, depending on a colt’s
spirits and his ability to take.work. I would train

-him from then on just as I did Justice Brooke.
Enclosed find a summary of his work.” (This
will be presented. later. )

Charles A. Valentine writes: “There are no
two colts that can be trained alike. It would: be
impossible for any man to tell. you. how to train
colts. There are a few general rules—colts should
be broken when they are eight months old’ and
have nice big paddocks with plenty of grass and
plenty of good oats and then have a competent
trainer, who will train them according to what
SHOEING COLTS. 73

they can stand. My way of handling colts, after I
break them, is to keep them going from that time
on, according to their condition. No two can be
trained exactly alike.”

Budd Doble writes: “I have had but very little
experience in handling colts, having devoted most
of my time to aged horses. However, in my judg-
ment, you should commence with the two-year-old
as early as possible. As to how far and often to
jog, and when to speed, etc., depends very much
on the colt, and has to be done entirely on judg-
ment. Hardly any two will need the same
training.”

Jos. L. Serrill writes: “I start in November of
a colt’s yearling form to prepare him for the two-
year-old futurities and jog him every clear week
day from three to five miles. I start working
heats, twice a week, as soon as the weather per-
mits. I work quite a lot of miles at first in 3:30,
then drop down two to three seconds. Very soon
after I get the colt down two or three seconds a
week. After I get him down to 3:15 I work re-
peats and after 2:50, three heat repeats.”

O. H. Sholes writes: “Nowadays we expect a
ten-year-old finished race horse at two years of
age, so time is the most essential thing; therefore
commence as soon as the colt is born and keep
busy, teach it something every day. Ask yourself
every day what you have taught the colt that day.
The most necessary things are speed, manners, and
74 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

condition, Teach it manners first and then. speed,
ther. more manners, and‘ then more speed. :: The
condition -is ‘edsy, it will usually come: itself. To
make manners, be gentle and kind, and ‘not‘always
too firm. Treat the colt as you would ydur:son,
if he cracks a ‘joke laugh at it. It will be. your
turn:to ‘track a‘ jokenext. To-make speed, never
tet a colt: know how fast he can go. Drive hiri his
best-dften,- but:don’t let him know it. The way to
do:'this is by' letting it step fast for an eighth ora
sixteenth ; speak to it, tap it with the whip,:and
let-it go''for fifty to one huthdred feet,:and take ‘it
right back to the clip it was going before it makes
avbreak. I don’t believe in making speed by. forc-
ing ‘toa break, as many do. Don’t let the colt
make a hop or a skip. If ‘it does, and continues,
také him/to the blacksmith. . Have perfect bal-
ance and a perfect gait. Boot him for protection
only anid if he should hit himself, don’t wait for
him.to wear his boots out (thinking there are more
where yours came from) but take colt to the smith.
When you think he can step:4n eighth in'the spring
in sixteen seconds, take out your ‘watch on him
arid ifthe steps an eighth in twenty or. twenty-
threesseconds he is ‘a goodicolt. When you hear
of a:colt stepping an eighth iti sixteen seconds the
fourth time it was: hitched it ‘is usually a lie or
they lost.track, df his workouts. Such talk is
misléading to ‘the’ new ‘tramer’and to’ the’ owner.
‘Along in June I- would work colt two repeats,
SHOEING COLTS. 15

about twice a week for a few weeks, say at 2:40
to 3:00; and then go back to short-brushes through
July and get more brush. In- August: the work
‘would be quite severe, say 2:40.down to about
2:20. The week before. his race I would'work him
to step one mile in 2:14 and ‘then'I would’ be ready
to beat Lord Allen-in 2:11. If the.colt came out of
his first. race sound, I. would expect him: tox race
well the next week,.and then.I would not*be great-
ly disappointed. if he trained off. Mariy of ‘them
do, and you must expect it. Possibly I would get
another good race out: of him later. Condition is
like an ax, once you lose the edge it is-hard to’ get
back. Manners in shipping is a big help. Many
race horses work good at home, but ‘as soon as
loaded on the cars, the stuff is off. Anna ‘Axme
2:081%4,. the futurity winner of 1912,: would. lay
down on the cars and snore’ while ‘they -were:
running. She was at home ‘wheteéver:.I was. >The
futurities. should be won by’ men with. only’ one
colt, as ‘they have more tithe to educate it than
we fellows do who have a great many. 1 think
all colts should be worked. and raced in bandages.
I do not believe in working a two-year-old three
“repeats.”

' Harold.M. Childs writes: “A colt to be trained
‘with a view. of-starting in the two-year-old £u-
turities. should, in- the first place, have natural
speed and-be good headed and good gaited.... I
think also. that they.should have enough. work as
16 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

yearlings to. thoroughly manner them and de-
velop and grow them. They should commence
jogging about February 1 and, when the footing
is good, should be jogged fast, right up to their
gait. I do not jog over two miles at first, and
never over three miles later. There is nothing
so harmful to a colt as slow jogging over a long
distance. They get thoroughly tired and sick of
the game and learn all the bad habits in the cata-
logue. As soon as there ‘is a track in the spring
they should be worked the Gov. Stanford (Palo
Alto) brush system, working them a little every
day, except Sunday, and being very careful to
not do too much with them any one day. After
a month of this kind of work they can be worked
two heats of the brush work, every other day,
jogging two to three miles the day between or,
what is still better, be turned in a nice grass pad-
dock the day between the repeats. I will say
here, that. the failures I have seen in the use of
the brush system have been because trainers make
too much:use of their colts. They think because
they are using the brush system, that they must
keep their colts right up on their toes all the
time, and they go too far with them, not stop-
ping to consider the distance they have been. If
they would stop and figure the quarters they have
been, it would often be from a mile and a half to
two miles at speed. This would soon make a
colt’ stale and tired of the game. After three or
' SHOEING COLTS. G7

four weeks of the repeat work at the brush sys-
tem they can.then be given two repeats every
other day. Start them at 2:50 and drop them
down three or four seconds a week, letting them
step the last eighth within themselves, but up
close to their speed limit. Gradually increase the
brush:at the finish of the miles until they can step
the last quarter fast, then, later on, increase the
fast brush to a half mile and so on, in the same
manner as you would prepare an old horse for a
race. I think colts should be worked some every
other day, or three times a week, but after they
can brush a fast quarter or half, the fast work
should be limited to about once a week, going
the other two workouts of that week say in 2:40
and 2:35 each day, letting them step the last: part
of the last heat up near the limit. When you
get your colt'to within a month of a race he should
have three heats, once each week, letting’ him step
the last one within five seconds of: when you
think he will have to go, provided he can do it well
within himself.”

W. H. Smollinger writes: “It seems to me that
the trainers should be able to give more practical
information than those who, like myself, can only
speak from the experience gained by observation.
And yet, taking: into consideration that you can
count, almost on the fingers of one hand, the
trainers that have been successful with colts, and
that. their methods are as many and varied as the
78. CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

religious denominations, it is doubtful if even they
can lay down any hard'and fast rules which will
be of value. I apprehend that it all depends on
the hand and temperament of the driver and on
the colt to be trained. Some years ago I was
very much interested in colt training, and took
advantage of every opportunity to observe and to
question the successful colt trainers. Only one,
a Kentuckian, who had a large measure of suc-
cess with colts, gave anything like an answer to
my question ‘What is the best way to train colts?’
‘Train ’em like aged horses, sir,’ he said. In
answer to my inquiry if such a method did not
produce lameness he replied ‘Yes, sir, but it don’t
hurt ’em.’ As there seems to be so’ many good
ways to train colts, any method adopted, if it
happens to be suited to the colt, is like the old
lady’s opinion of the doctrine of total depravity—
‘a good thing if well lived*up to.” J appreherid it
is after all a question of training the colt to make
what he lacks. If it is true, as I believe, that, ow-
ing to our advance in breeding, ‘speed is born with
the foal’ more frequently every year, it may be
that the mile on mile system, with a good stiff
brush at the.end, will now produce more useful
colts than the brush system. Every farm seems
to have an abundance of speed. We seem to have
found or stumbled onto a way to produce speed.
Useful speed is now what we want. For that
reason I think the colt should be in harness all
SHOEING COLTS. 79

winter every day to develop manners and muscle,
if he is to be trained for the futurities. Manners
and individuality, I believe, will mean more every
year. In conclusion I am forced to admit that I
know nothing practical about the matter.”

The present champion two-year-old trotter is
Peter Volo, 2:0434, that trotted faster than any
three-year-old trotter or pacer: or any four-year-
old trotter up to his time. After Peter Volo had
made his yearling record, he was let down for the
winter and sent back to Patchen Wilkes Farm.
On January 9 of his two-year-old form he was
shipped to Thomas W. Murphy at Poughkeepsie,
N. Y: He was carried along slowly. At Grand
Rapids, the week before his start in The Horse-
man Futurity, Murphy worked him a mile in
2:1234, last half in 1:05, last quarter in :3134, and
back in 2:1334, last half in 1:04%4, last quarter
in :3134. The following Tuesday saw his first
futurity. Adbella Watts led to the three-quarters
in the phenomenal time of 1:3534. Peter Volo
then moved up from trailing and carried her to
a break and won by five lengths, pulled up, in
2:09, a new world’s trotting record for his age
and sex. In the second heat Murphy began to
drive from the word “go,” doubtless hoping to:
reduce the world’s record of 2:0734, held by
Native Belle. He was at the three-quarters ‘in
1:3534. At the head of the stretch, when about
15 lengths in the lead, he went to a break on a
80 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

wet spot where the sprinkler had turned in the
track. He soon caught and won by ten lengths
in 2:101%. Peter Volo’s next start was in the
Horse Breeder Futurity at Salem on August 20.
On account of heavy track Murphy made no
effort to step a fast mile. In the first heat, while
Peter ‘Volo was leading in the stretch, Airdale
came up very fast. Murphy sat still, thinking he
had the heat won, but Airdale was coming faster
than Murphy judged and, before he realized it,
he had lost the heat in 2:151%%. Peter Volo won
the next two heats easily in 2:1234 and 2:14%4,
although he made a break in the first turn in the
second heat. The next start was in The Horse
Review Futurity at Columbus, O., on September
25. Peter Volo showed slightly lame in warming
up. (some hidden trouble in front). He won both
heats off in front in 2:0634 and 2:07, although
Alma Forbes or Lady Wanetka was after him all
the way. The last start of the year was in the
Kentucky Futurity. In the first heat Lucile Spier
led to the three-eights but made a break, and
from there on Peter Volo was never headed, win-
ning in 2:09%. Lady Wanetka made him trot the
last quarter in 3134 seconds and the two went
under the wire, a half length apart, in better than
a two minute gait. In the second heat Peter Volo
went out for a record and was never headed in
2:0414, although Lady Wanetka moved up along-
side him at the three-quarters in 1:33. Peter:
SHOEING COLTS. 81

Volo was given very little fast work between
races,

The champion two-year-old filly is Native
Belle 2:0734 that took her record in the second:
heat of the Kentucky Futurity on Oct. 6, 1909,
at Lexington, Ky., driven by Thomas W. Murphy.
She was perhaps the most wonderful two-year-.
old that had then shown. She reduced by three
full seconds the mark of Arion, against time, that
had stood for 18 years. She was born great
because she was not broken till April, only six
months previous to her great performance. She
had shown fast beside a pony the previous winter,
however. Murphy went slow in her training at
first, so as not to spoil her, yet by the last of
July he worked her a mile in 2:23. About Sept.
15 she was worked in 2:1434, last half in 1:04.
The next week she was worked in 2:14144. The
following. week she started in her first futurity
and won in 2:1334 and 2:1214, equaling, in the
last heat, the two-year-old trotting race record of
her day. She stepped the final quarter of this
heat, against a wind, in 3134 seconds. In the
Kentucky Futurity she won the first heat in
2:1234 and was then sent for a world’s record in
the second heat. She made the quarters in :33,
31, :31 (middle half in 1:02) and :3234.

The previous two-year-old record, as has been
mentioned, was held by Arion. His mile was in
2:1034, made to high-wheels (no ball-bearings)
$2 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

against time, on Nov. 10, 1891, over the Stockton,
Calif., kite-shaped track, driven by Charles Mar-
‘vin. Samuel Gamble once wrote that Arion fin-
‘ished this mile strong, while Palo Alto and Stami-
boul finished theirs, over the same track, “like
drunken sailors.” Gamble timed Arion in a race
an eighth in 1434 seconds and three-eighths in:47.
Arion wore a peculiar six-ounce shoe in front,
when he made his two-year-old record. On the
inside from the middle of the toe to half way
down the side, the shoe was wider and heavier
than elsewhere. Marvin was of the opinion that
this side-weight shoe kept Arion from brushing
his knees and arms. Incidentally Arion wore al-
most all the boots in the catalogue in this record
performance, except elbow boots. The quarter
time of the record mile as reported in “The
Horseman,” was :33!4, 31 (the fastest quarter
on the track), .:333%4, 73234 (this quarter was
slightly up hill).

The first two-year-old trotting colt to
lower Arion’s record, was Justice Brooke,
2:091%, that took his record October 5, 1910,
as did Native Belle, in the second heat of
a winning Kentucky Futurity. He was a
late foal (June 2).’He was broken in the
fall of his yearling form by Dromore Farm Su-
perintendent, A. B. Scott. On March 1 of -his
two-year-old form he was turned over to Roy
Miller, who then began his duties as farm trainer.
SHOBING COLTS. 83

He was jogged on the road till March 25. Then
he was brushed on the covered speedway at the
farm, in connection with road work until April
10. The next day he was given his first mile over
the farm half mile track. The diary of his work-
outs (and a diary is a good thing to kéep on all
colts) and races is kindly furnished. us by Mr.
Miller.

April 11—3:40, 3:20, quarter ‘in :44.
April 14—3:: 28, 2: 59%, quarter in :43,
May 4— Rainy weather, jogged)—Slow mile and repeat.
May 7—3:10, Sy 2:56,
May 10—2: 58, 248%. quarter in :3814.
May 13—2:! 5214, 4814, 2:4214, quarter in :38.
May 17—2:58, 4514.
May 20—2:; 54" Gant
May 24—Brushed in speedway (rain).
May 27—2:50, 2:43%,
May 31—Brashed in’ speedway (rain).
June 4—2:30, 2:
June 9—2: 56, 2: 48, 2: 40%, quarter in :37%.
June 13—2:52, a =. 2:42,
June 15—2:! 59, 2:51.
June 17—2:46, 2:3514, 2:35%4, quarter in :37.
June ae to mile track at Detroit.
June 28—2:5: 2:3414, quarter in :35,
June 30—2:46%, 2 38%, 2:28%, half 1:1334, quarter :36.
duly 6—2:49. 2: eee :25%, quarter in 130%.
July 11—2: at 2 336%.
uly 14—2:47, 2:34, 2:2914, 2:26%4, half 1 09%, quarter :33%.
July 18—2:47, 2:38.
July. 20—2: 45%. 2:30, 2:20%4, quarter in :33%4.
uy Be B40, 2:86, € Bay ter 1
‘w. , quarter in :3
suly 3e9 45° 3 30, 2:21, 2: 18%, half 1 208%, quarter :33,
August 1—2:47, 2: 32, quarter in :34,
August, 4—2; 4444, 2: 34," 2:23 (half 1: 08, quarter :33), 2:24.
August ‘5~-Shippea to Goshen, N. ain,
August 12—2:55, 2:40, 2:26, 2.28%," half. 1:11%.
usa 14-2:48) 2:33, 2:24
August 18—First start won in 2:27%, 2:26%.
August 22—2:48, 2:351, 2:34%4.
August 25—Shipped to Detrott, 3
August 29—2:4714, 2: ae S :281%4, quarter He 1844.
September 1—8:45%4, 2:33, 2:20, 2:23, half 1:07%4, “quarter 131%.
September i Gae hetween)—2: 343, 2: 80, 2:20, 2:15%4, % in :33%.
September 10—2:49,
September 138—2:40, e Bi 2:16% (4%, 1:04%; %, :81%), 2:15%.
September 17—2:50.
September a "a ht won in 2:27%, 2:22%.
September 21—Shipped to Columbus. Ohio.
September 28—2:42, 2:29, 2:21, 2: 19%, quarter in :39%.
Septeniber 24—Third start, 1-2-2 in 2:14%, 2:09%4. 2:11%.
September ee ee to ‘Lexington (delayed in shipping).
October 3—2:48, 2:28%, quarter in :35%%.
$4 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

October 5—Fourth start, won in 2:11%, 2:09%4.

October 10—2:414%, 2:27%.

October 18—2:45, 2:40%4.

October 17—Shipped home. ‘ .
. October 19—Shoes off and retired for season. Shoes weighed 5%
ounces forward, 3 ounces behind. S

The two-year-old training of Axtell, a cham-
pion two-year-old trotting stallion, on both mile
and half-mile tracks, was rather peculiar, and will
doubtless be of interest. He was driven to a
record of 2:23 at Lexington, Ky., Oct. 8, 1888,
by C. W. Williams. The following-is an excerpt
from Mr. Williams’ own story from the Christ-
mas number of “The Horseman” in 1889:

“Some time between March Ist and 15th he was taken up and
jogged from four to six miles a day. It will be: hard for any one to
believe that he could be made to eat the amount of feed given him
during March and April; as, think of a two-year-old being fed
five quarts of oats, two of bran, two of carrots, and three’ or four
ears of corn, three times a day, and all the coarse feed he would eat.
This Is not exaggerated in the least. As the weather became warmer
he was fed less, but could not, at this time, trot a quarter in less
than a minute, while I am informed Sunol could, at ‘that time, go the
same distance in thirty-five seconds. Up to this time I had driven
Axtell but a few times, but as the man that had been: jogging him
was sent to Michigan with some mares, I took him‘to work. A
first I was not pleased with the way he drove, as he was stubborn,
and wanted to have his own way a little too much to suit me.

“After driving him two or three times I became disgusted, and
one day struck him rather sharply with the whip. He squared away
and went straight. far enough and fast enough to convince me he
would make a trotter if I developed him’ as-I should. Up to this
time I had never worked a-colt that could trot in 3:00, did not know
how others worked their colts, and the only thing for me ta’ do was
to use what little common sense nature had given me. B

“I had for years been quite a pedestrian, practicing a great deal
for pastime, and the exercise. I knew by experience how long it
took to get the muscles in condition for hard work, and how sore
and lame. it made me after any great effort, be the distance ever
so short, and this. after I had supposed I was in condition for this
kind: of work. I. also knew to have great speed for a short distance
it was necessary to cultivate the muscles for such efforts, and the
only way this could be done was to make these great efforts every
two or three days, but not too often. I also knew by experience
that it was necessary for me to consume plenty of muscle-making
food. In fact, I had learned how to condition myself for this kind of
work and how to take care of myself after a great effort.

“After considerable thought I decided to work Axtell as 1
developed myself and see what the result would be. His road-work
was continued, with an occasional brush where the footing was good,
and every time I started him up he could go faster than he ever had
before. About the 20th of May he was hitched to the sulky for the
first time and taken‘ to the track. Up to this time I had no oppor-
tunity of knowing how fast he could go, but the first time he was
SHOEING COLTS. 85

moved to harness I found he could go an eighth in less than 0:20.
That was not very fast, still it showed a big improvement over the
speed he had shown in the fall.

“Being pleased with the colt, I was determined to do the best I
could with him. He only saw the track about two days in a week;
the other days (he was never harnessed on Sunday) being set aside
for Jogging on the road for eight or ten miles in an hour. He was
driven without a check and always in an open bridle. The days he
was given track-work I jogged him about three miles the wrong way
of the track, then turned and went the right way about two miles,
and started him, up from two to four times in that distance. I
would drive him about thirty or forty rods at speed, then jog him a
short distance before asking him for another burst of speed. After
I thought him in condition I drove him in these brushes about as
fast_as he could go. :

“During all this time he was fed large quantities of grain and
all the hay and grass he would eat. About the middle of July he
was asked to go his first half-mile and did it handily in 1:15. Ten
days from that time he covered the same distance in -1:12, About
August Ist he was driven a easy mile in 2:38%, the first one he had
ever gone. In this mile he was brushed four or five times, and the
rest of the time only moved along at about a 3:00 gait. This mile
was about as fast as he was driven in his work in his two-year-old
form, and on August 9th he started at Keokuk, Iowa, in his first
race. All of the other starters were three-year-olds. In the third
heat, over a poor half-mile track, he distanced the field in 2:31%,
and the next morning Axtell’s name appeared in the daily papers for
the first time. Since that time none has appeared as often.’’
8€ CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Chapter VI—Three-year-olds.

 

HE training of three-year-olds
does not differ greatly from that
of the younger colts except, with

  
  

 

UT TTT eS

   
     

   
 

   

   

   
  

 

 

 

 

 

a ‘i t added age, most youngsters re-
ed TWO) qui k.. It has: been
Sw He quire more work. as. bee
Aiimimmnmina | thought advisable to devote a

separate chapter to the three-
"year-olds, as such a division admits of a more care-
ful study of several prominent colts of that age,
whose training will be of interest to the reader.

If a colt has been trained as a yearling, or as a
two-year-old, its training as a three-year-old will
be along the lines previously written of, but ex-
tended as, in the opinion of the trainer, best suits
the individual case.

If a colt has not been previously trained; and
the owner desires to race the colt as a three-year-
old, it will be necessary to proceed with early
training, as previously set forth for colts of a
younger age, except that the education and train-
ing will have to be rushed and crowded into a
shorter space of time.

To save repetition of advice we will assume
that the colt has been previously trained—raced
as a two-year-old if you wish.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 87

In the late fall of its two-year-old form, the
trainer must decide whether the colt is to be
turned out. Some horsemen turn two-year-olds
out from November 1 to February 1 and then
commence jogging, while others prefer to jog the
colt all winter—each owner or trainer must de-
a this point for himself.

' The jogging will consist of from Pie to six
sles a.day (trainers’ opinions differ) except Sun-
day. As the jogging progresses a little brushing
may be indulged in, at the end of the jog, if de-
sired. About April 1st the trainer should begin
to work colts for speed. Some drivers start with
a full mile in about. three minutes, others start
with ‘half-mile heats and gradually increase the
distance till a mile is reached. Each succeeding
work day the colt is asked to go a little faster mile,
but the drop must be gradual, and, if the colt gets
to going rough or bad-gaited, the fault should be
corrected, if possible, before much more is done,
unless the colt be one that improves in gait as he
improves in speed. The dropping down has to
be done as the trainer thinks best. W. O. Foote
says: “The more speed a colt shows at this time
the less fast work I give him.” This is good ad-
vice, for many colts are made speed crazy by
dropping them too fast. In some families the.
colts come to their speed more quickly than oth-
ers, and,.as a consequence, careless trainers have
militated against the success of such families, by

w
88 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

ruining colts. In addition to working miles, it is
assumed that those who believe in the brush sys-
tem will make speed with it as described before.

After the colt has been worked mile heats, and
from two weeks to two months later (according
to individual judgment, location, or weather), the
colt should be worked two heat repeats. Later,
say from two to four weeks (by this time it will
be May or June) three heat repeats are in order.
Still later most trainers work four heats, includ-
ing the “opener,” but very few go beyond that, as
most futurities are decided under the 2 in 3, or
three-heat system. In midsummer, if it is ex-
pected to start in the Kentucky Futurity (a 3 in
5 event) it may be thought advisable to work five
heats.

It is important that a colt be worked in com-
pany as much as possible and taught to trail, also
to come out from behind and race beside another
horse without trying to rush past.

Experience Not Always a Criterion.

It would be useless to go into the minor de-
tails of training and working colts. No set rules
can be laid down. If the colt shows considerable
speed he will doubtless be placed in the hands of
an experienced trainer. Experience even is not
always a teacher. Take, for instance, the case
of Don Chenault and Etawah in 1913. Don
Chenault won the Review futurity at Columbus,
THREE-YHAR-OLDS. 89

defeating Etawah. Two weeks later Etawah
turned tables on him. There are many features
of interest in both races, and about what took
place between and afterwards. At Columbus
Don Chenault defeated Etawah by an eyelash the
first heat. The second and final heat was easily
won by Don Chenault, after an early break had
put Etawah out of the contest. After this race
Don Chenault was worked very little. Two weeks
later he started in the Kentucky Futurity and
won the first heat, off in front all the way. In the
second heat he seemed very rank, made two
breaks and finished seventh. In the third heat
he became practically unmanageable and was dis-
tanced for running. Don Chenault’s driver at-
tributed his defeat in the Kentucky Futurity to
the fact that the colt had not been worked enough
between the two races. He points to the fact
that after the Kentucky Futurity the colt was
given a stiff workout and, six days after his de-
feat, won the Championship stake in two straight
heats. As Etawah was not a starter in this last
race it cannot be brought into comparison with
the other’two. Etawah, that had been defeated
at Columbus on September 24, participated in a
race against aged horses on October 4 and trotted
five hard heats, finishing 5, 3, I, I, 2 in 2:08%,
2:10%, 2:10, 2:09%, 2:13, and then was drawn,
as he was becoming exhausted, and the Kentucky
classic was in mind. In the Kentucky Futurity
90 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Etawah was a sorry looking spectacle. After Don
Chenault had won a heat in 2:0534, and ;Peter
Johnston one in 2:0834, Etawah was the freshest
horse in the race and won the next three heats
handily in 2:0834, 2:10, and 2:12. The driver
of Etawah, who had been criticised for giving his,
colt so much work between futurities (the same
people criticised the driver of Don Chenault for
not doing the same thing!) is of the opinion that
the hard work between the two futurities put
Etawah “on edge,” as the saying goes, for the big
race. Others believe’ that Etawah won on’ his
gameness and, would. have won without such
harsh treatment. And so we say, even experi-
ence is not an indisputed criterion for training
colts. og

Henry .M. Jones writes: ‘Three-year-olds
should’ be taken up not later than February 1
and jogged five to six miles a day, except Sun-
day. One should start to work heats not later.
than April 1, starting with miles every other day
in three minutes and dropping down. If colt
has shown speed in its two-year-old form it can
be dropped down to 2:45 in two weeks. I brush
an eighth away from the wire and an eighth home.
In two weeks: from the time of working heats
the colt should be given two heat repeats, and
from two to four weeks later three heat repeats,
first mile in 2:40, last two in 2:35 or 2:30, with
first and last quarters in 35 seconds. When the
THREE- YEAR-OLDS. 91

colt has been dropped down to 2:20, brush it to
the half in one heat and then home from the half
in the other fast heat, but rating the slow half so
both miles will be practically the same. Finally
the colt may be worked four heats, the first an
opener, the second mediunily fast, and the last
two the fastest but in about the same notch.
Never allow the colt to slow up immediately after
passing the wire. I trained Waverly, p., 2:041%4
(which I drove a quarter in 28 seconds as a three-
year-old), Maggie Winder (3, p.), 2:06%4, and
Fleeta Americus (3), p., 2:0914, in this manner.”

W. O. Foote, who trains in Texas, writes:
“The colt should be taken up the fall or winter
before he. is three years old and jogged three to
five miles a day, Sunday excepted. In March
start working half mile heats and gradually in-
crease to a mile. The time of these heats depends
on speed shown. The more speed a colt shows,
the less fast work it should have. No two colts
are alike, so cannot give any advice about drop-
ping them down. Two heat repeats may com-
mence in April in a warm climate, then three
heats in May. Four heats are plenty. A very
important thing in educating colts is their shoeing
and balancing. Unless this is done carefully and
correctly it will be almost impossible: to win a
futurity. Colts should be shod as lightly as pos-
sible, and, as a- rule, with as short feet
as possible. The balancing of a colt depends
92 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

largely on the proper angle of his feet. He
should also be taught to go on as light a line as
possible, but, of course, all will not do this. Colts
should be taught to trail other horses and work
beside them without wanting to rush by as fast
as to cause them to break or trot themselves out
before the end of a mile. Colts do better with an
occasional let up of a week or ten days.and jogged
every day or turned in a paddock to exercise them-
selves. J never work my colts miles as fast as they
will go. Governor Francis’ fastest workout as a
.three-year-old was in 2:14%, yet he trotted in
2:11%, 2:1114, 2:121%4—the fastest three heats
trotted by a three-year-old stallion until 1913.
The Climax’s fastest workout as a three-year-old
was in 2:12)4, yet he paced in 2:07 in a race.”
Sam J. Fleming writes: “Futurity prospects
should be jogged three to six miles daily all win-
ter after two-year-old training or campaigning.
Start to work mile in three minutes and drop
down slowly to 2:40. Then 30 to 60 days later
start repeating. The trainer will have to use his
own judgment from here on. Baroness Virginia
(3), 2:0814, was worked in 2:1714 as a two-year-
old and could have trotted in 2:15 or better. As
a three-year-old she was not worked faster than
2:26¥2, and was raced into condition over the half-
mile tracks, beating the half-mile track record
for her age. At Indianapolis, in the Western
Horseman Futurity, she trotted four heats around
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 93

2:15. At Columbus the next week Murphy
worked her in 2:14 and 2:10% and won the Stock
Farm Futurity around 2:10 three times. At Lex-.
ington he worked her two heats around 2:15 and
then won the Kentucky Futurity. All together
she had less than 20 heats better than 2:20, in-
cluding all her work and races. In my opinion
colts need to be kept fresh. They should not
have too many miles, but plenty of speed making
and conditioning. They will race with this work
if game, and if not game no amount of staying-
up will get them to Futurity form.”
Shoeing of 1911, 1912 and 1913 Colts.

Speaking of shoeing, we made a comparison
of the shoes worn by the fastest three-year-olds
of IQII, I912, and 1913, as illustrated in the
Christmas numbers of “The Horseman” of the
respective years. The following tabulation of av-

erages. tells its own story:
No. of Wt. Angle Length Wt. Angle Length
colts Front Front Front Hind Hind Hind

 

Year. observed. Shoes. Feet. Feet. Shoes. Feet. Feet.
ADIL, J ccinevinaiierisicewmas 16 7 48 35 4 53 3%
QTD sco ilarssvereieecencievedueds 12 7 49 35% 4 54 35%
TOG: jo: iisiesorndace: aver evatevere 35 ™% 48% 35% 4 52 3%
Av. for 3 years.... T% 48% 35% 4 52%, 3%
Av. for pacers..... 7 48 38% 4 81% £3

The table contains the average for both gaits.
A line is added at the bottom to show the aver-
age for pacers. As there were only Io pacers
considered out of a total of 63 colts, their influ-
ence in the main table is not considerable.
94 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Let us see what style of shoes are being worn
by colts. The following table gives the different
styles, with the names and total number of colts
that wore each. All aged colts appear in this

table, from yearlings to three-year-olds:
FRONT SHOES.

Trotters. Pacers.

Plain ShOC 21... cece cece cece rece e eee tet ee rece eee eens 11
(Lady Wanetka, Peter Johnston, ‘Airdale, Anna
Ax Me, Colonel Cochran Jr., Ima Jay, Pine
Knot, Royal Hall, Ruby Watts, Mediumore,
Sweet Alice and Mightellion.)

Plain shoe with heel calks 2.1... ccc cue e cence een eeeeee 4
(Bonnie Setzer, Don Chenault (2), Onset and
King Clansman.)

Plain shoe with creased toe ........- sisdsasucest caskesays(eienoet si eS ;
(Etawah, Homer Baughman, Judge. Jones, Todd
Forbes and Mamie Guy.)

Plain square toe shoe .......0s.66: sas\ouceandeuasataustsiegseweatoinrs 2
(U. Forbes, Atlantic Express.)

Plain square toe shoe with heel calks ...............- wise
(Don Chenault (3), The Right.)

Plain shoe with creased toe and heel calks .... ...... 1

. (Willow Mack.)

Plain shoe with grab ...... sation ge eras SURE Stee 1
(Grace O. C.)

Plain shoe with grab and heel calks ...........s.seseee 1
(Roberta Bingen and Herman Wenger.)

Plain shoe with four calks .......c cece eens cee cece ie
(Mahomet Watts.) :

Bar shoe, plain .......... cyaitavacepanh Sve tity niateeevaecrevandeasevapaoteed, 3

' (Miss Stokes, Rhythmell, Binville, and Miss

De Forest.)

Bar shoe with heel calks ........... cee ceee cece nen enee 5

(Peter Volo, Manrico, Nowaday Girl, Barbara
Overton and Sweet Spirit.)

Bar shoe with creased toe ..........0ccseceeeeceeseaes 3
(Adlon, Burt Axworthy and Minna Ward.)

Bar shoe with heel calks and creased toe .............. -4
(Princess Nelda.) f

Bar shoe with grab and heel calks ...... ates aM atRE.S Wek Soe vol
(William, Box.) ;

Bar shoe with four calks ............. uslahine euavare agavaenteiagt eat
(Fay Kirk—1 forward calk missing.)

Swedged shoe ..........+eeeeue at igigierana tn scree ere MaK age 5

1
THREE-YEAR-OLDS.,

(Bonington, Little Bernice, Tilly Tipton,
Brighton B., Lord Brussels, Margaret Parrish,
Hydrad, King Daphne and The Climax.)

Swedged shoe with heel calks ............ccccecceeeues 1
(Hall Mark.)

Swedged bar shoe with square toe .............2.0000% 1

. (Justice Brooke.)

Swedge bar shoe with heel calks .......... pimexgadna: 0
(Direct Gentry.)

Swedged are HOC, cscsensiceswavencnearcahgaamets ame atta eahmieusts 2
(Lucile Spier and Dillon Axworthy.)

Rim shoe ............ lke Sats weedeat ona use beaut aNaasate, yo itartsave "eas 0
(Impetuous Palmer and The Conclusion.)

Memphis bar shoe ........ acevoretaparersse seneiteriereetea wishes 1
(Baldy McGregor—only one bar used.)

Memphis nub shoe ...........cccee scene seseeeenaeeeten 1

(Sure Mike.)

Plain shoe ...... uasaba a cau eire voxolev macnn eens Wal eek oa TOR eso AeA 6
(Lady Wanetka, Peter Johnston, Anna Ax Me,
Todd Forbes, Mediumore, Fay Kirk and
Grace 0O’C.)

Plain shoe with heel calks ..........sseeeeees widebvceavsandens 12
(Atlantic Express, Binville, Bonnie Setzer, Di-
rect Gentry, George Rex, Ima Jay (1 calk only),
Nowaday Girl, Onset (1 calk only), Roberta Bin-
gen, Royal Hall, King Clansman, Hydryad and
Col. Cochran Jr. (1 calk only.)

Plain shoe with grab and heel calks .................- 2
(William, Box and Mamie Guy.)

Plain shoe with creased toe and heel calks......... 1
(Etawah.)
Plain shoe with heel calks and outside grab ........... 1
(King Daphne (oblique toe) and The Conclusion.)
Plain shoe with square toe and heel calks ............. 2
(Mahomet Watts and The Right.)

Bar shoe ‘with grab: 2 sis2 ccs ee oie er neces ween acanvere
(Princess Nelda.)

RBar shoe with grab and heel calks ........cce ccc e eevee 0
(Herman Wenger.) =

Swedged shoe ....6-  -seecesee see e cece et eee eennee oe D

(Peter Volo, Don Chenault, Miss Stokes, Adlon,
Minoa Ward, Brighton B., Justice Brooke, Mar-
garet Parrish, Mightellion: and The Climax.)
Swedged shoe with heel calks .........ssececceeececues 6
(Don Chenault, Baldy McGregor, Bonington, Pine
‘Knot, Lord Brussels and Sweet Alice.)
Swedged shoe with square toe ........ aris eye ea NS 3
96 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS,

(Airdale, U. Forbes and Judge Jones.)

Swedged shoe with square toe and heel calks .......... 3 1
(Dillon Axworthy, Homer Baughmar, Mahomet
Watts and Burt Axwortby.)

Swedged bar shoe with heel calks .......ccccceeeveeees 1 “0
(Manrico.)

Half swedged shoe 22... cece ccc c ccc eect eee ener neenee 1 Oo
(Ruby Watis.)

Half swedged shoe with heel calks .......e.seeeccerees 4 2.

(Hall Mark, Lucile Spier, Sure Mike, Tilly Tip-
ton, Willow Mack, Miss De Forest.)

Rim shoe with heel calks ........cccceeeeeeeeeeeeereee 0 1
(Little Bernice.)
Half rim Shoe ..ccccnessencce seen cecancseseececseceene 0 1

(Impetuous Palmer.)

It will be noticed that the most popular front
shoe for trotters is a plain one. Next in popu-
larity comes the bar shoe with heel calks, and the
swedged shoe. The most popular pacing shoe is
the swedged. .

“The most popular hind shoe for trotters is the
plain shoe with heel calks, followed- by the
swedged shoe, then the plain shoe.

In speaking of calks on a front shoe we mean
the long narrow calks welded on the shoe par-
allel to the direction of travel. sometimes called
jar calks. Heel calks on the hind shoe are those
formed from the body of the shoe itself.

The classification above is not elastic enough
to accurately indicate the wide difference between
shoes of the same class. Take the plain front
shoes used by 11 trotters and 1 pacer. According.
to our classification all are alike, yet each one dif-
fers from the other in some particular, either as
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 97

to weight, shape-or size.’ The same is. true of
any other kind of shoe. ‘To describe each colt’s
shoes accurately a description and cut would have
to be printed separately. ‘This would make  tire-
some reading and would defeat. the purpose of
our table, in which it is impossible to show such
minor differences as trailing heels, side clips,
heavier toes, etc.

It will be noticed that certain trainers seem to
prefer certain shoes. Thus Walter R. Cox used
plain shoes in front on Lady Wanetka and; Peter
Johnston. Thomas W. Murphy used a bar shoe
with heel calks on Peter Volo, Barbara Overton
and Sweet Spirit. Ed. F. Geers used a_ plain
shoe with creased toe. on Etawah, and Homer
Baughman, although the former, was a. trotter
and the latter a pacer. Many other similar com-
parisons might be drawn.

Champion Three-Year-Olds.

‘Let us conclude our chapter with a consideration
of the champion threé-year-olds. The present
champion is Colorado E,_ 2:0434, trained and
driven by Guss Macey. The previous champion
was General Watts, 2:0634, trained and driven by
Mike Bowerman. Previous to that was Fantasy,
2:0834, trained and driven by Ed. F. Geers. Pre-
vious to that was Sunol, 2:10%, trained and
driven by the late Charles Marion. Previous to
that was Axtell, 2:12, bred, owned, trained, and
$8 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

driven’ by C. W. Williams, practically an ama-
teur at the time. This takes us back to 1889,
beyond. which there is little to be learned that
would be of interest or benefit to present-day
horsemen. . :

Colorado E., 2:0434.

Colorado E was sensational as a yearling and
was driven a quarter at that age in :33% by
W. W. Evans. This resulted in the colt’s
sale to Geo. H. Estabrook for $5,000. ‘Colt was
then turned over to Guss Macey. As a two-year-
old the colt sprung a curb and could not be
worked properly, yet in the Kentucky Futurity
he was second to the great Native Belle, 2:0734.
After the Futurity, Colorado E. was turned out at
Lexington. He was taken up December 1 and
shipped to Denver. His jogging began on his
arrival in Colorado. He was jogged about four
miles a day, except Sunday, until March 1, when
he was double-headed miles in from 3:15 to 3:00
‘every other day through March., By April 1 he
had worked a mile in 2:35 and was dropped down
about 3 seconds a week. In April Macey began
giving him two-heat workouts, twice a week. By
May 1 he had been in about 2:20. During this
month he was given two heats the first of the
week and three heats the last of the week. By
June 1 he had been in 2:15. On June 14 at
Detroit he worked: in 2:11. At Grand Rapids,
on July 22, he won easily in 2:1234 and 2:1234.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 99

At .Kalamazoo, on July 29, driven by Reamey
Macey, young .son of Guss, he worked a mile in
2:06% or a half second faster than the world’s
.record, last half in 1:01%4, third quarter in 30
seconds. At Cleveland he worked in 2:0734 and
2:0714%4. At Empire City, in his second start of
the year, the, Matron Stake, he won easily in
2:071%4, 2:0734, the fastest two heats trotted by a
three-year-old up to that time. At Boston he
won the Horse Breeder Futurity pulled up in
2:06%4 and 2:0734. At Syracuse he won the
Horse World futurity in 2:1334, 2:0814. At Co-
lumbus he won the Stock Farm futurity in 2:0834
and 2:0534. In the Kentucky Futurity every-
body was. out to beat him, and here he suffered
his only defeat. In his final start, the Kentucky
stake, he won in 2:1114 and 2:0434, a new world’s
record. His winnings for the year were $109,-
790.25. Colorado E was a large rangy colt, with
a sweeping yet frictionless stride, which enabled
him to cover ground in a deceiving manner.

Colorado E. wore four ounce square toe plain
shoes all around, very light close-fitting quarter
boots in front, ankle and speedy-cutting boots be-
hind, two-minute harness, blind bridle, snaffle bit,
and Crabb overcheck bit.

General Watts, 2:0634. /

General Watts was trained lightly as a two-
year-old by Harold Childs and given-a time rec-
ord of 2:27%4. He was then the property of
100 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

Senator J. W. Bailey and Gen. C. C. Watts.
Shortly thereafter. he became the exclusive prop-
erty of the latter gentleman, who placed him in
the hands of Mike Bowerman on March 18, 1907.
The colt was thin and weak, following a severe
illness, and was naturally small in size, so his
training was done carefully, yet he made speed
fast. He was jogged until May 1, then was given
slow repeats from-2:40 to 2:30, twice a week.
Around July 1 he showed a mile in 2:1534. At
Cleveland; Aug. 1, in his first start, he was in-
terfered with: in the first heat and was 5-4 in
2:13%4 and 2:1114. At Readville, on Aug. 20,
in the Horse Breeder futurity, he won in 2:0914
(middle half: in 1:0134) and 2:09%, lowering
the three-year-old stallion record of 2:10%4, held
by Arion. In the Stock Farm futurity at Co-
lumbus he led to the half in 1:021%4, but was
beaten by Kentucky -Todd in 2:0834, which
equaled the world’s record held by: Fantasy. Gen.
Watts seemed -to tire and was only fifth the next
heat in 2:11. Mr. Bowerman attributed his de-
feat to lack of work. ‘The race seemed to leg
him up and ‘the next week, at Columbus, he won
the Review futurity in 2:11, 2:09%4 and 2:09%,
losing the third heat. At Lexington he won the’
Kentucky futurity. over a/slow track in 2:12%,
2:1134 and 2:11.' The second week at Lexington
he trotted the first heat ‘in 2:6634 (last half :in
 :0234—loweritig thé. world’s fecotd by two sec-
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 101

onds) and 2:0934. His year’s winnings were
over $20,000 and he retired sound. The follow-
ing is quoted from Mike Bowerman’s account of
the training of Gen.- Watts, which appeared. in
the Horse Review of December 17, 1907:

As to any system of training colts, I have none. I train horses
differently from_any other man that I ever saw train. After I
thought I had Gen, Watts’ thoroughly seasoned, I did less jogging
than any one generally does. I went ‘to the track less than al-
most any one else goes.. If I can get out on the road I care little
about the track. only for speeding purposes. After getting him into
condition I would work out Gen. Watts twice a week; good fast
miles, rated all the way, not driving him any fast quarters or
eighths, After I drove him a mile in 2:15 » Which, my recol-
lection is, was some time the first part of uly, I began to teach
him to get’ away from the wire fast; after going about an
eighth taking him back and stepping the last eighth at the end
of 4 mile. I have seen trainers go out to work their horses, it
being what they called ‘‘work out day’’ for certain ones. Possibly
the horse, for some unknown reason, would ‘not, work as well as’
he had at other times. Then the trainer would whip him and
run him and say, ‘‘Well. I will work-him another heat; I will
make him worse or better.’’ JI never do that. When I start to
work a horse and he does not act right, I take him to the stable,
for it is a sure thing that there is something wrong. with him, and
he not being able to talk, I will wait and see what the trouble is
or was. I use less bandages than any one, I use no body wash
at all, nothing in the way it is mostly used. In short I trained
General Watts as I do all other horses in my charge. ‘Trained him
when he felt good, if it was his time to work.

As to what shoes he wore and the angle of his feet, he wore a
bar shoe in front, weighting 614 ounces, with 8-ounce quarter boot,
the angle of his foot being 47 degree, with a 3-inch toe. His hind
shoe weighed less than three ounces, 38-inch toe, angle 51. He,
wore shin boots behind with a very light coronet boot, a very: light
knee boot for protection only, for I had driven him without any
boots a little ways as fast as he could go, he never touching a
hair. I wore an open bridle on him with his head checked a lit-
tle above the level of back. No martingale. I fed him twelve
quarts of grain a day. with all the hay that he would eat. His
stomach and digestive organs were always in perfect order. After
I said he was ready to trot he should never have lost a_ heat,
and the only time that he did I myself was to blame for it, not
him. While he has done what no other three-year-old ever ap-
‘proached, the world does not know what his real ability was, for
I am just as sure in my own’ mind, had I hit the right day and
track, he would have trotted a mile in 2:05 or better, as I was
sure that he would trot a mile in 2:07% or better, which I did not
hesitate to say the day he trotted in 2:06%. ;

Fantasy, 2:0834.
Fantasy was broken and worked as a two-
year-old and showed speed at once. As a three-
year-old she started seven times and was never
102 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

defeated, except in one heat. At Nashville after
winning the fast heat. in 2:1634, distance was
waived and a runner sent along to prompt Fan-
tasy and she trotted the second heat in 2:0834.
She was a nervous, high-strung mare, but very
steady.

Sunol, 2:0874.

Sunol (the last of the high wheel three-year-
old champions) was a mare of somewhat whim-
sical form. She was 15.2 hands high at the
withers and 16 hands behind. She was fast in
the paddock but gave trouble in. breaking, being
high strung and cranky and had to be handled
gently. She was broken to harness at a year
old, worked a little beside a steady going horse,
then tried to single harness while she was very.
anruly. At first. it took about an hour to hitch
her up. She was worked carefully during the
winter of her yearling and two-year-old form,
but brushed at speed a short distance (say a quar-
ter in 35 seconds) every other day or two. On
Aug. 1 of her two-year-old form, four davs be-
fore her first start, she worked her first full mile
at Los Angeles in 2:4014 and repeated in 2:38.
The next day she was. merély exercised and on
the following was repeated in 2:36 and 2:331/.
She won her race in 2:341%4 and 2:25. She was
taken home and brushed quarters and_ halves.
She. was shipped to Petaluma and on Aug. 20
worked in. 2:38 and 2:33. Two days later. she
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. 103

won in 2:28% and 2:2634. and was returned to
Palo Alto until the second week in October. She
was then shipped to San Francisco, where she
was given two repeats, the first in 2:32 and 2:35,
the second in 2:28) and 2:23, the latter on Oct.
18. Two days later she started against the
world’s two-year-old record of 2:21 held by
Wildflower, and although suffering from sexual
excitement reduced the record half a second. A
week later, with only brush work in the mean-
time, she trotted in 2:18. She was then taken
home and jogged all winter to skeleton wagon.
She was turned out in a paddock and one day,
in playing, strained a tendon in her right hind
leg. The resultant swelling was kept down by
cooling lotions and cold showers. Jogging was
commenced on May 19, but she was not brushed
for a month, as her hind ankles.looked suspicious.
She was then given the brush system till she could
step a quarter in 30 seconds, then mile and repeat
work. On being shipped to San Francisco she.
contracted a very severe case of distemper. At
Napa the weather was hot and this, with her
nervous temperament, kept her much reduced in
strength. At Petaluma she was defeated by Lil-
lian Wilkes after she had won the fast heat in
2:21%. A week later, at Oakland, she turned
the tables and won in straight heats, best time
2:20. At Sacramento, on Sept. 12, she walked
over. in 2:161%%. Five days later she won, best
104 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

tithe’ 2:18:At' Fresno, on Oct. 2, she went against
time in 2:1334. At San Francisco, Oct. 12, she
walked. over in 2:1534, and again on November
g in 2:1034. She closed the season at Napa, on
Nov. 16, when she trotted against time in 2:15.

Axtell, 2:12.

Axtell’s training as a’ two-year-old, as re-
counted by C. W. Williams, appeared in the last
chapter. From November 1 of his two-year-old
form till the first of March following he was not
jogged, but turned out every day and fed all the
oats, bran and carrots he could eat, with corn-
stalks for coarse feed. On March 1 his jogging
commenced with one mile. This was increased a
mile a day till he was taking twelve miles of road
work a day. This was kept up till May 1, when
he was worked on the track twice a week, but
jogged twelve miles every other day. His track
work was on the brush system. In addition to all
this work he was bred to 22 mares between March
1 and July 4, but was not given much work the
days he served mares. Up. to the last of June he
had not been a mile faster than 2 :40, but had
been speeded fast quarters, and halves. The last
week in June, at Cedar Rapids, Ia., he reduced the
three- -year-old half mile track record from-2:26%
to 2:2134. On July 2, at Minneapolis, Minn., he
started against the three- -year-old stallion © record
of’ 2:18, held by Sable Wilkes, and, although it
THREE-YEAR-OLDS, 103

was a cold raw day, with a light rain falling, he
trotted in 2:1534. On July 4, at Independence,
Ta., he reduced the half-mile track. record to’
2:20%. For the next few days he was jogged
eight to ten miles, then shipped to St.Paul, Minn.,
and started to beat 2:1534, and equalled it, which
constituted a losing performance; the track was
dead and cuppy and thought to be about three sec-
onds slow. Axtell was then shipped to Independ-
ence for a few days’ rest, then to Cleveland, O.,
where he further reduced his record to, 2:1434.
Then on to Chicago,. where he went an exhibition
mile in 2:1514 and, two days later, won a race,
best time 2:14. The next week at Independence
he worked in 2:22, the following week at Des
Moines in the same notch. He was’-then’ sent
home and jogged three weeks. At St. Louis he
worked in 2:19, then was shipped to Terre Haute.
Early in the week he was driven an exhibition in
2:141%4. The next day he was not harnessed, the
following day he was jogged six miles to cart on a
country road. The next day, Oct. 11, he reduced
the three-year-old record, and also the all-aged
stallion, record to 2:12. That night he was sold
for $105,000.

: In Conclusion.

We have now followed the colt from the day of
its birth to the fall of its three-year-old: form. By
this time the reader. if he has absorbed and di-
gested all that has been written, by the famous
106 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS,

horsemen who have contributed to this work, and:

even if he is an amateur, will have formulated

ideas of his own on the proper way to train and

race.. When a man reaches that stage, further ad-
- vice is superfluous.

 

 

 

Native Belle, 2:073%4 (in 1909), World’s Champion Two-year-old
-Trotting Filly.

'
APPENDIX. 107

Appendix—Chronic Indigestion,
By Dr. A. S. ALEXANDER. |

There is on almost every stock farm, where
horses are kept, at least one horse that does not “do
well.” His coat is coarse and stands on end; his
urine at times is plentiful, but at other times scant
and like honey. When he stands in the barn for
one day without work or exercise, his hind legs
stock up and when he is put to work he sweats
easily and without hard labor or sweats profuse-
ly after he is placed in the barn at noon or night.
He is a ravenous eater and gets all he wants to
eat, but is not satisfied and so proceeds to eat his
bedding. If he is watched closely, it will be seen
that he has the habit of raising his upper lip as
if yawning; his manure differs in composition
from time to time. Sometimes it is composed of
small, hard, dry balls; at other times the balls
are larger and covered with slime; again it comes
in masses, undigested and foul smelling.

_ The horse is troubled with chronic indigestion
and such animals usually bolt their food without
proper mastication. Examination will sometimes
disclose the fact that the molar teeth are in such
condition that proper mastication is impossible.
It should be understood by all owners of horses
that the molar teeth in the horse do not com-
pletely pass each other when chewing. The outer
108 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

edge of the upper molars and the inner edge of
the lower molars in time becoming long and sharp
and interfere with proper mastication. This neces-
sitates having ‘the ‘teeth “floated” (filed down)
once a vear after the horse is seven or eight years
of age.

‘The first step, roe in Sue to cure the
chronic indigestion alluded to is to have the teeth
put in good order by a veterinary dentist. To go
back a little, it should be mentioned that as a rule
in practice we find most of these cases in barns
that are close’ from poor ventilation, dirty from
lack of cleaning and damp from improper drain-
age of the building site or from inadequate meas-
ures adopted’ for removal or absorption of liquid
excreta. We also find the same condition existing
where horses are given very hard water to drink,
where sewage impregnates. ‘the drinking water,
and where drinking water is habitually given after
instead of before feeding.

, ‘How to Feed and Water.

In the feeding of horses suffering from chronic
indigestion, ‘it should be remembered that the
horse digests oats in the stomach and takes care
of water and hay in the large intestines. For this
reason the feeding and watering should be con-
ducted upon the following theoretical plan: Water
first, then hay, then oats. Mastication of the food
is absolutely necessary in horses that are to do
well and escape indigestion of any kind. Where
APPENDIX. 109

ground food is given it is taken into the stomach
without much: mastication, hence it is not properly
mixed with saliva which is necessary for its sub-
sequent digestion. When oats are in process of
mastication, four times its bulk of saliva is se-
creted in the mouth and this is needed to digest
it. Where corn meal is fed, but a quarter of the
proper amount of saliva is secreted and so on with
the other ground foods.

The teeth having been attended to, the next
thing is to stop bolting of the food, and for this
purpose ‘practical horsemen place the feed in an
extra large, shallow feed box or put a few cobble
stones in the feed box or mix a handful of old,
dry, hard shelled corn or field peas among the
oats or use one of the patent boxes.

To stimulate secretion of saliva, rock salt should
be kept before the horse at all times, and when
this is done he will drink more water and should
always have it befote but not after feeding.

How to Water a Horse.

The stomach of the horse holds but 314 gallons.
If he eats his oats, which remain in the stomach
for digestion, and then drinks four or five gallons
of water, the latter, as explained above, passes
through the stomach and lodges in the large. in-
testines, and in doing so must of necessity wash
out undigested oats into the intestines, where they
are not digested, but decompose and set up irrita-
tion or give forth gas, which causes colic.
110 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

How to Feed a Horse.’

Feed the horse hay after drinking water the
first thing in the morning and his oats after the
small amount of hay has been eaten; at’ noon,
water, then oats; at night, water, then oats, and
two hours afterwards all the hay he will clean up
before morning. More than twenty pounds of
hay should never be offered to any horse, no mat-
ter how large and heavy he may be. Hay should
not be kept in front of a horse all of the time, as
it is on many farms; so used it is a positive detri-
ment, rather than a ‘benefit to the animal.
INDEX.

     
  
  

 

 

   

 

INDEX
Adbell, 1, 2:28............ joe “AG | FROGS, W:. Oh ea: ic ses soeaseraresecocere
Adbella Watts.. «. %9 | Freedom, 1, 2:29%.
Airdale, 2:15%. -» 4L] Frou Frou, 2:2544...........
Airdale, 2............ 80] -
Alexander. Dr. A. 8.. 4, 107 :
Alley, 21 | Gamble, Samuel........ Aas ath
Alta Axworthy. 3, 81 Geers, Ed. F............
Arion, 2, 2:10% General Watts. 3, ae 06%...
Athadon. 1, 2:27 Goldsmith. John A....... 46,
Axtell, 2, 2:23.. Governor Francis..........-+
ANGLE. 8. (212 saci
Bailey, Senator J. W
Halter-Breaking ...........
. Hazelton, James.. tes
Bandagine <2 sess ees5 sen teas 89 | Heather, Joe..... 17,
Barber, Dr. W. A..5, 20, 49, 69 peel Boots eases se
Baroness Virginia, 38, 2: 08 yy 92 | Hester C.......... satus
Bell Bird. 2:264......... 46, 47 | High- “Wheel Sulky........ 81,
Renear ........ .... 45 | Hinda Rose. 1, 2:36%4....47,
Benyon, James.. 70 | Holloway. Frank H
Blanketing ..............4.5 40} Hoofs, Packing,......
Bowerman, Mike. -100, 101 | Howard, Dr. 8S. R
Bradburn. John............. 7
Brush Svystera .33, 36
Burgoyne, Harry............ 7| Jones, Henry M............
_| Justice Brooke, 2, 2:09%4...
Chandler, J. B............
Chandler, Stewart. RE Keets, O. M.......essceeeee
Childs, Harold M..... Kentucky Todd, 3, 2:08%....

  

 
  

Chronic Indigestion.... -. 107
Colorado E., 3, 2:04%....... 98
Com. Walter Re scccscscacesinletccosers 97
Curry. Wickliffe..... send abanage 44
Diarrhea .. 7
Doble, Budd. 73
Dodge, John 19
Don Chenault, 88
Dwyer, Matt........-.6..... 46
Dykstra. . Dr. 5

‘taw: 5
Estabrook, Geo. .
Evans, W.

Fentasy, 3, 2:
Feeding ..........
Feeding Paddock.. nts
Feet, Dressing....../.....-.
Fleeta Amerine: 3. D.,
Fleming, Sam J

 

 

| Peter Volo, 1

Lady Wanetka

 

McCarr, Ned.........

McCoy, Dr. J. C.

McGraw, Joseph

Miller, Roy..8, 18, 23, 31, 72,

Moody, Hunter C......... 42,

Murphy, Thomas ‘W.......79,
2, 2:07%, 7

  

Navel Disease. .
Norlaine, 1, 231%

Palo Alto Training ‘Paddock
Pansy Mi a oe 2:28%..

 

111

46
100

17
82
50
97
81

9
Aq
112 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS.

 

 
 
    
 
 
 

Peter Volo, 2, 2:04%........ 79 | Valensin, Count.’............ 48
Phippen, John §....... .. 46] Valentine, Chas. A....... 40, 72
Pony, Leading Beside . 22 :
Pride: ssceasierese2esa -. 48 .
Pulling ....0...re eee 34 | Water a Horse, How to..... 109
Watts, Gen. C
: 7 ee ‘ Waverly, p p.. 2:
Sanders. Millard 46 | Weanling Colt
Scott, A. B....... .. 82] White, Ben....
Seiter| Dr. Jack.: ... 52] Whitely, Amos..
Serrill, Joseph L. ae 73) Wilbur Lou,
Sh hoeing its ee fe axstiae’ hae Tes 52 | Williams, C.
‘Shoes ot 1911; ae and ists Williams. Henry
vena sMaxanofeuineNeve iev shin 93 | Willis, Ed...............0-
holes, 0. BT -23, 73
Smollinger, W. H...... wes SO)
Stanford, Gov. Leland....... 33] yearlings, How to Train.... 33
Suckling Colt.......... 4
suas Degas Boel 3 AT
Sweet Alice: Sc A Mlustrations,
Airdale, 2:15%4,. World's

. 4 Champion Yearling....... 15
The ‘Climax: Bis icijeowas seas vs 92 Peter Volo, 2:0444, ewer’ ‘
Thomas, A. L............. : TI. Champion. Two - year - old
Three-yr. son: How to Train 86]},, Trotter ...........0.0000 51
Toe Weights ............... 32 Colorado E., 2:04%, World’s
Training Paddock aay ictaepataingesers 49 ~ Champion. “Phree-year - old
Two-year-olds, How to Train 67| ° Trotter .............0005 66

Native Belle, 2:07%, ‘World’s
ramen ion Two - year - old
U. Forbes, 1, 2:21%........ BO US HANEY asc dieisesaierssecenaittontn: sasaesara 106