42 EVERY MAN HIS OWN TRAINER. 



weeks we had nice sleighing and he commenced to show speed 

 right away. In about six weeks, eight at most, he could beat a 

 2:30 horse down the street, to sleighs. In fact, early in the spring 

 following, about the first time I tried to drive him, he went a 

 mile over a slow half-mile track in 2:33. The average differ- 

 ence in time by different horses between a half-rflile and a 

 mile track is from three to five seconds. He woilld have 

 made a great horse that year only for an attack of pink eye, 

 and I did not do much with him ; turned him out and let him 

 run until fall ; took him up and used him through the winter, 

 and he could beat any horse in our city to sleigh, and has in 

 fact, been the boss of the road ever since. The next sum- 

 mer I gave him a record of 2:24|. This is to show that 

 different horses require different treatment for developing 

 speed. 



In giving a horse fast work in the winter, if he is heavy 

 coated, of course you will .have to clip him, and when he 

 comes in straighten his hair, wipe the water out of him if 

 he is sweating, and if he is clipped of coarse you will have to 

 use one extra blanket, a wraper, that is, a square blanket, and 

 you should have two ordinary stable blankets; but if not 

 clipped, one wrapper is sufficient. Put it well up around his 

 neck and pin or buckle with strap if so arranged ; use two 

 girts, one in its natural place, the other about half way from 

 the shoulder to the hips. These clothes should be put on as 

 soon as you can get his hair straightened^'after his drive and 

 not removed until the next morning, so the cold air will not 

 strike him until he is thoroughly cooled out. Rub his head 

 and ears dry if possible. Be sure and get his ears dry and at 

 the same time have a man drying his legs out. Now apply a 

 little of the wash heretofore mentioned to his legs ; then roll 

 on a pair of derby or ilannel bandages, not putting them on 

 very tight. If your stable is a cold one — that is, no fire in it — 

 leave the bandages on over night. By doing this the horse 

 won't have any chill or take any cold. Stablemen don't like 

 this treatment ; they want to strip him after an hour or two 



