300 TALES OF THE TURF. 



In every community there are mares of great local 

 reputation as untiring wear-and-tear roadsters, almost in- 

 variably high-strung and willful. Remember the hundreds 

 on hundreds of instances in great pedigrees of "breeding 

 unknown, but a great roadster." I believe disposition to be 

 one of the main factors in producing speed. A great 

 brood mare family is always a high-strung family. Green 

 Mountain Maid could kick the peaks off the stars ; so 

 could Bessie Turner, the dam of Oliver K. It was worth 

 a man's life to drive the dam of Phyllis. Annie Eastin, 

 the dam of three in the list, was a hot-headed puller that 

 would go until she dropped in her tracks. Alma Mater 

 was very high-toned and from a high-toned family. The 

 dam of Abdallah is renowed in history for her great road 

 feats. Emaline, the dam of seven in the list, was another 

 high-spirited one. So was Gretchen, the dam of Cling- 

 stone. Miss Russell was another, and the dam of Guy 

 had a will that the black phenomenon inherits. Lady Ful- 

 ton was a "holy terror" that could and would run away 

 whenever she felt like it, which was about all the time, and 

 she could kick icicles off a church steeple. In fact, in a 

 desultory limited investigation some years since I found 

 but few mothers of fast performers that were not high- 

 spirited mares, many of them absolutely mean. So a 

 brood mare with some speed and a great deal of resolu- 

 tion is a good article to start off with. 



After you breed a colt give it a chance. Feed it well 

 and when old enough teach him to step out and, whether 

 in training or not, remember that pure green grass is 

 nature's remedy for all ailments. There is a great deal 

 of foolishness in the present day's training. Toe weights, 

 hopples, patent spreaders and the like are undoubtedly in 

 rare instances necessary, but are frequently used when 



