DEVELOP SPEED IN HORSES. -^ 41 



CHAPTER Xm 



TOE WEIGHTS CHANGING THE WAY OF GOING. 



Toe weights have played an important part in devel- 

 oping the speed and steadiness in way of going in trot- 

 ters, and are of recent discovery, comparatively. As 

 near as I can ascertain, they were first used by James. 

 Wilson, of Rushville, Ind., who was the owner of that 

 phenominal sire of trotters, Old Blue Bull, and who now 

 leads all others in the number of his get that have ob- 

 tained records of 2-30 and better in many a hotly con- 

 tested race. Many of Blue Bull's get were either pacing 

 or mixed gaited horses, and by the judicious use of toe 

 weights, they were easily converted to the trotting gait of 

 the purest character, and nearly every converted pace^,. 

 that possessed a sufficient amount of " hard bottom '* 

 blood, have proved themselves horses of no ordinary 

 capacity in their day and time. But I think many good 

 horses have been injured by wearing more weight than 

 was absolutely necessary, which has had the effect of 

 straining the muscles and tendons, and by injuring the 

 feet, by bringing them in contact with the ground with 

 greater force than the feet were calculated to stand with- 

 out serious results. After a horse has been converted, I 

 think the weights should be decreased in ounces gradu- 

 ally, to the lowest point possible, and more reliance be 

 placed upon skillful driving, to keep the horse level in 

 his gait. Many horses that are pure gaited trotters can 

 trot faster, and without detriment to themselves, by wear- 

 ing a reasonable amount oi weight on each fore foot, 

 as the weight at the apex of the toe has the effect 

 to straigthen out the fore leg when extended, and 

 thus gain in length of stride, whereby they can trot 



