MAKING SPEED. 41 



of his ability. He must never do anything with 

 a colt unless he knows why he is doing it. 



One of our collaborators suggests that this 

 chapter include a short story of the methods of 

 training some of the famous yearlings of both 

 the present and past. We are glad to accept this 

 suggestion, and find our work lessened by refer- 

 ence to Roland Drake's article in the 1912 Christ- 

 mas number of "The Horseman." 



Airdale, i, 2:i5j4) the world's champion year- 

 ling trotter, was foaled in April, 191 1. Before 

 he was weaned he had learned to eat grain and 

 was halter-broken. In October, 191 1, he was 

 broken to harness, and after twelve hitchings or 

 less was turned out for the winter. He was in 

 training- (at Lexington, Ky.) where this could be 

 done. Incidentally, without any effort to. "search" 

 the coltj he stepped an eighth in 25 seconds. 

 About March i, 1912, Airdale was taken up and 

 shod and jogged on the road for a month ; then 

 sent to the track for training. He was brushed 

 every other good day, for a short distance, to 

 make speed. On June 25 he was driven a half in 

 I :i2^ and a quarter in 135, and turned out for 

 a month. After his short vacation he was taken 

 upi and after another month's training was driven 

 his first full mile in 2 150, about Aug. 25. In 

 the next two weeks he was given three miles better 

 than 2:40, the fastest in 2:28^^. In the mean- 

 time, he had been a half in i :o7% and a quarter 



