THE BREEDS OF HORSES 



31 



shoulders; be narrow on top over the shoulders; have a strong, 

 fairly level back; a muscular rump with tail set high; a deep, 

 round body; and legs short, clean, and fine boned and good 

 feet. This horse picks up his feet with snap, and moves off 

 smoothly and easily. The coat is of different colors, with 

 bay or brown most common. The disposition is generally 

 good, though it naturally varies. This American-bred horse 

 is the fastest trotter in the world. Uhlan holds the world's 

 trotting record for the mile, in the time of 1 :58 (one minute, 

 58 seconds); and Dan 

 Patch the pacing record 

 of 1 :55)4 for the same dis- 

 tance. During 100 years, 

 from August 25, 1810, 

 when a horse named Bos- 

 ton trotted a mile in 

 2:48*4 to October 9, 

 1912, when Uhlan trotted 

 a mile in 1:58, the mile 

 trotting record was re- 

 duced 50 seconds, or an 

 average of about one-half 

 second a year. Lou Dil- 

 lon, a beautiful little 



mare, long held the trotting record in a race against time, 

 making a mile, in 1903, in 1:58J^. This record, however, 

 was made with the aid of a shield to keep the wind from 

 affecting her speed. There are many kinds of records, as 

 half-mile, mile, two-mile, fastest new performer, fastest 

 mare, etc. Thousands of horses have trotted a mile in 2 :30, 

 or better, and many even as fast as 2:10. 



There are a number of famous trotting and pacing fami- 

 lies, of which the Hambletonian, Mambrino, Clay, Pilot, 



Fig. 10. Uhlan, a trotter with record 

 of 1:58. Photograph by courtesy the 

 National Stockman and Farmer* 



