264 LIFE WITH THE TROTTEES. 



them differently. I would liave in tliat case j)oulticed them 

 thoroughly and blistered them mildly and started a new 

 growth before I started to train him. As it was I had his 

 feet shortened up moderately, had a pair of bar shoes made 

 weighing fifteen ounces, had him shod with leather and 

 sponges, shortened his feet behind all I could, and put a 

 ten-ounce shoe on him which would ordinarily be out of 

 proportion. But in this instance I wanted to change the 

 horse's gait behind and took this way of doing it. 



In training Protection, I gave him short, sharp work, got 

 the best boy I could find to groom him, and began by giving 

 him moderate working miles and brushing him at the finish, 

 always well within himself. As soon as he was in condition 

 to go along at about a 2:30 gait I got Devereux to drive him 

 and I worked some horse with him, being careful all the 

 time to give Protection the best of it, never allowing the 

 other horse to out-trot him so as to discourage him. I liked 

 him from the first day I drove him and was sure he would 

 go in 2:20 or better, but never found anyone else who shared 

 my belief, and when I told the boys that there would be 

 some day they would want Protection, they replied "All 

 right, we will take our chances." I never had a horse in 

 my stable that trained easier or gave me less trouble than he 

 did. The only thing about him that seemed to need any 

 extra attention were his feet, which I kej^t thoroughly joonl- 

 ticed, and stood him in warm water every day. AYlien the 

 spring meetings opened in Indiana, I entered Protection in 

 his class and in his first race I liked him better than I ex- 

 pected to. The excitement of the race, etc., seemed to be 

 just what he wanted. As I had not done anything in the 

 way of keying him to a high rate of speed, and knowing 

 that I had no chance to win the race, I contented myself 

 with second XDOsition and as the race was decided in three 

 heats it was nothing but a good day's work for him. I trot- 

 ted him every week from there until the grand circuit oj^ened 

 and at Buffalo I started him for the first time in the big 

 ring. And regardless of all that I had told the boys about 



