90 THE TWO-MINUTE TROTTERS 



speed, and knowing that I knew he was in condition to carry 

 it. Of course I finished his preparation as we went along, 

 for he had no races and was to make his first start at the 

 second North Randall meeting in August. That was to be 

 a mile against time and he was worked according to what 

 he would be asked to do. His best mile before the first 

 public start was around 2:05, but he was given his head on 

 occasions for quarters in 29 and 29^/4 seconds. 



'^He wore throughout the season five ounce bar shoes in 

 front and four ounce swedge shoes behind. He requires 

 no toe weights and in his record mile he wore no boots in 

 front and those behind were light shin with speedy-cut at- 

 tachment." 



As Mr. Murphy has stated that Arion Guy had no bad 

 habits at any time, it might be said here that there is but 

 one thing about him that has made him at all difficult to 

 train or race, and that is that he is what one writer has termed 

 "ticklish," and there is no better word to describe it. He 

 was, and to an extent still is, somewhat sensitive to the gnats 

 and bugs that hit him about the muzzle. He simply did not 

 like that sort of visitors, as they appeared to sting him a 

 great deal more than they do most horses. It follows that 

 dirt that hits him in the same place is, to him, nothing to 

 ask for more of. This ticklishness is also shown when dirt 

 or clods strike his stomach. Fortunately, owing to the care 

 of those who developed and trained him, he did not become 

 at all erratic, if that is the word which correctly expresses 

 the idea. Perhaps it would be better to say that it has not 

 made him unreliable. It appears to be not at all mental, 

 but is merely the sensitiveness of the particular parts named. 

 It is the opinion of those who should know about such things 

 that kindly care has brought this trotter up to the point where 

 he is not at all hampered by the failure of nature to endow 

 him with a tough muzzle and stomach hide. There is nothing 

 else that troubles him. Life is easy for him because of his 

 perfect disposition, splendid appetite and ability to do the 

 great things required of him. 



It v^ould be doing the wrong thing to omit from this 

 chapter the observation of Markey on the Arion Guy way 



