104 TIPS AND TOE-WEIGIITS. 



In explanation of the erratic manner he was exercised during the 

 summer of 1881, a brief statement is required. A colored boy who 

 accompanied us from Chicago was the only help kept. He broke 

 the colt and worked him and drove him in the race. From a fall, when 

 hoisting hay into the barn, supplemented with a cold taken when on 

 a duck-hunting expedition, his lungs were affected, and we did not 

 feel that he ought to be permitted to risk the labor attending work- 

 ing and taking cai'e of a colt none the easiest to manage. He was 

 extremely sensitive about any one else taking care of him or others 

 to drive, and we were too much occupied with work which had to be 

 done to give him personal attention. Thus on the 5th of May he 

 was driven to a breaking-cart and turned in a small lot as before 

 until June 1st, when he was driven slow in breaking cart until the 

 9 th. On that date put on tips, weighing four ounces each ; the day 

 before he was shod behind with shoes coveiing the toe and outside, 

 leaving the inner bare. After putting on the tips he was driven to 

 a sulky for the first time since November, and moved fast. He was 

 driven occasionally until June 29th, when having to attend the races 

 at Sacramento he was tui^ned in lot. The 11th of July put on tips 

 weighing five and one-half ounces each, and he wore them until 

 August 8th when they were replaced with others of seven and one- 

 half ounces each. While wearing those he trotted a quarter in 43 

 seconds, and on the 29th of August they were taken ofi" and others 

 put on of three and three-fourth ounces. With the light ones he 

 handled himself more satisfactorily, though having to attend the 

 fairs of the Golden Gate and State Agricultural Society he was 

 turned out, the tips being always left on when the time was expected 

 to be short. He ran in the small lot during the day from the first 

 to the 28th of September. On October 6th put on weights weighing 

 five and one-half ounces each, and on the 14th drove him a mile in 

 2:54|, the last half in 1:24, and keeping him all the time well within 

 his rate. On the 18th he trotted a quarter in 40 seconds, and we 

 felt assured that he could show a "thirty gait" if called upon. We 

 drove him in this summer's work, though, as is evident, it was of 

 too desultory a character to be called training. Still it was a fair 

 test of the tips, both as to the efiect on the feet and to improvements 



