DEVELOP SPEED IN HORSES. 13 



CHAPTER IV. 



OBJECT OF WORKING HORSES WORK FOR AGED HORSES. 



It is important for the amateur to understand why he 

 is working his horse. What is the object of it? Why 

 to develop his speed, of course. But not one man in ten 

 can give you an intelligent answer to your questions as 

 why do you do so and so. Now no horse can go any 

 faster than he has got power to carry him. If the speed 

 is not in him, no man can make him show it. 



Speed is the physical capacity or power to get over 

 the ground at a rapid rate. A horse may have appa- 

 rently the physical capacity to go fast, but does not and 

 can not; he maybe proportioned correctly and fill all 

 the dimensions of the fape li7ie trotter and lookXxV^ a trot- 

 ter, but can't go on — and here is where those knowing 

 men get left in trying to pick out a trotter with a tape 

 line and references to the stud books. A horse without 

 the inborn disposition to go on and get there is no good, 

 no matter how he is bred, how he is formed, or how he 

 is gaited. You get him in a tight place where it is nec- 

 essary for him to extend himself and he will shut up like 

 a jack knife, and quit without any apparent reason, only 

 that he don't seem to want to do it. If a horse is strong 

 2iXiAhas the disposition to go on, if he is not quite per- 

 fectly gaited, he will oftener surprise you by his rapid 

 improvement than would a finely gaited one, and just as 

 strong and sound, that don't care whether he gets there 

 or not. 



We will assume that you have got a horse sound and 

 live years old, that has a gait that is pure enough to carry 

 him a mile in 2:3c, when in condition to go a mile ; and 

 this horse has never had an attempt made to develop the 

 speed he is supposed to possess. We will also assume 

 that nt is early spring, the roads are in condition to 



