THE TRCVTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 65 



be avoided. My own opinion is against it ; and therefore I 

 should not make a match in which a colt of that age was 

 likely to be called upon to exert all his powers, unless the 

 circumstances were extraordinary. A great deal, however, 

 depends upon the constitution and forwardness of the colt. 

 A handy, vigorous, clean-actioned little fellow like Bruno, 

 may be more fit to trot a race at three years old than a 

 gangling, loose horse would be at five. The trainer and 

 owner, with all the circumstances before them, must judge 

 for themselves : but, as a general rule, do not treat your 

 colts worse than you do your criminals; if the matter is 

 doubtful, give the colt the benefit of the doubt, refuse to 

 conclude the match if it is not made, and pay forfeit if it is. 

 When I say doubtful, I do not mean the winning of the 

 money, because that is always doubtful, but the inflicting 

 of an injury upon the colt, either to his legs, temper, or 

 stamina, by too much exertion in preparing or in trotting. 



If, after all, a man makes up his mind to risk young 

 tilings in tight places, where the violent and continued 

 exertion of all their powers will probably be called for, 

 it may be well enough for him to approach in his system 

 of raising and feeding his colts, the forcing method of the 

 running-horsemen. In order that the colt may be able to 

 stand up under the treatment calculated for an older horse, 

 he must be made old as soon as possible ; and strong feeds 

 of oats from the first time he can be got to eat them is the 

 way to do this. Thereby the time of maturity may be 

 anticipated ; but at the expense of the thoroughness of the 

 maturity, I think, and certainly at the great risk of its 

 endurance. As I before had occasion to state, rapid arrival 

 at maturity is almost always followed by premature decay, 

 and this is especially the case with things forced by high 

 feeding when very young. It is also to be kept in mind 

 that the running-colt, during his training and his race, has 

 some compensation for his youth in the way of weight, 

 which the young trotter cannot have. A two-year-old colt 



