S4 CARE AND TRAINING OF TROTTERS: 



October 5— Fourth start, won lu 2:11%, 2:09^. 



October 10—2:41%, 2:27%. 



October 13—2:45, 2:40%. 



October 17 — Shipped houae. 

 , October 19 — Shoes off and retired for season. Shoes weighed 5% 

 ounces forward, 3 ounces behind. 



The two-year-old training of Axtell, a cham- 

 pion two-year-old trotting stallion, on both mile 

 and half-mile tracks, was rather peculiar, and will 

 doubtless be of interest. He was driven to a 

 record of 2:23 at Lexington, Ky., Oct. 8, 1888, 

 by C. W. Williams. The following is an excerpt 

 from Mr, Williams' own story from the Christ- 

 mas number of "The Horseman*' in 1889: 



"Some time between March 1st and 15th he was taken up and 

 Jogged from four to six miles a day. It will be^ hard for any one to 

 believe that he eould be made to eat the amount of feed given him 

 during March and April; as, think of a two-year-old being fed 

 five quarts of oats, two of bran, two of carrots; and three or four 

 e:irs of corn, T.hree times a d^ay, and all the coarse feed' he would eat. 

 This Is -not exaggerated in the least. As the weather became warmer 

 be was fed less, but could not, at this time, trot a quarter in less 

 than a minute, while I am informed Sunol could, at that time; go the 

 same distance in thirty-five seconds. Up to this time I had driven 

 Axtell but a few times, but as the man that h^id beeil jogging him 

 was sent to Michigan with some mares, I took him to work. At 

 first I was not pleased with the way he drove, as he was stubborn, 

 and wanted to have his own way a little too much tcr suit me. 



"After .driving him two or three times I became disgusted, and 

 one day struck him rather sharply with the. whip. He squared away 

 and went straight far enough and fast enough to convince me he 

 would make a trotter if I developed him as- 1 should. Up to this 

 time I had never worked a colt that could trot.Jn 3:00', did not know 

 how others worked their colts, and the only thing for me to do was 

 to use what little common sense nature had given me. 



VI had for years been quite a pedestrian, practicing a great deal 

 for pastime, and the exercise. I knew by experience how long it 

 took to get the muscles 1m condition for hard work, and how sore 

 and lame it .made me after any great effort, be .the distance ever 

 so sbort, and this, after I had supposed I was in condition ' for this 

 kind of worlc. I. algo knew to have great speed for a short -distance 

 It was necessatry to cultivate the muscles for such efforts, and the 

 only way this could be done was to make these great efforts every 

 two or three days,, hut not too often. I also knew by experience 

 that it was necessary for me to consume plenty of muscle-making 

 food. In fact, I had learned how to condition myself for this kind of 

 work and how to take care of myself after a great effort. 



"After considerable thought I decided to work Axtell as I 

 developed myself, and see what the result would be. His road-work 

 was continued, with an occasional brush wher& the footing was good, 

 and every time I started him up he could go faster than be ever had 

 before. About the 20th of May he was hitched to the sulky for the 

 first time and taken' to the track. Up to this time I had no oppor- 

 tunity of knowing how fast he could go, but the first time he was 



