578 



AMERICAN HORSES. 



the imported horses. Longfellow, Spendthrift, Eolus, 

 King Alfonso, and other successful native sires, were 

 the sons of imported horses. The English mares have 

 also succeeded in a great degree." English breeders 

 should encourage this interchange of the same blood 

 from distant countries. 



American trotters, which sprang from horses that 

 possessed the all-important gift of trotting, were at first 

 but little removed from what we might call " light harness 

 horses." By careful selection, good management, and 

 improvements in tracks and sulkies, the speed of the 

 trotter has steadily and rapidly increased, as we can see 

 from the following record times for one mile : — 



1806. 

 1810. 

 1826. 

 1834. 

 1845, 

 1849. 



1859. 

 1867. 

 1875- 



The following are the best trotting records from one 

 mile to a hundred miles : — 



The following are the best trotting records for one 

 mile at ages under six : — 



Yearling colt, Adbell (1894) . . 2.23 

 Two-year-old colt, Arion (1891) . 2.10J 

 Three-year-old filly, Fantasy (1893) 2.08J 



Four-year-old.colt, Directum (1893) 2.05;!^ 

 Five-year-old mare, Lou Dillon 



(1903) '-58* 



Arion (Fig. 567) did his two-year-old record in a high- 

 wheeled sulky. 



American trotters would do faster time, if their 

 courses were straight and not, as they are, elliptical. 



