Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-15
EARLY TRAINING ron SPEED.

A talented writer, over the signature
of S. T. H, has taken some pains to
produce the impression at the North
that Mr.. R. a. Alexander hes done
much to injure the trotting stock of
Kentucky by too early training for
service on tie track. This criticism
has raised the question of early and
late training, and how far it is wise to
carry an effort to develop speed and
endurance by actual labor with the
muscles in locomotion. The Lexington
Farmers Home Journal has a commit
nicatiOn defending the early training
practice for Mr.. Alexander, l.. l.. Dor
sey, and others, over the name of "Old
Kentucky" in which he says:
Lulu was an early trained one; she
was by Norman. l do not know her
dam, but Judging from her form she
must have come from high bred mare.
She, at eleven years of age, marked
2:l62. Occident, at ten years Of age.
by DurOc, marked 2:162. Glester. at
eight years, by Volunteer, marked 2:17.
Red Cloud, at nine years old, marked
2:lS. George Palmer, at eight years
old, marked 2:194. Mambrino Gift, at
eight years old, marked 2:20, and he
was by Pilot Mambrino, and he by
Alexander Pilot. Surely in producing
such sires Mr.. A. did not much iniure
the trotting stock of Neutrality-suspicious.
as much as L. J.. Dorsey did wher he
from Vermont Morgan produced Gold
dust, which got Fleety 0olddust, that
scored 2:20 at SIX years old, or when he
produced Lucille Golddust, that has
also this season marked 2:20. These
are two FLIES produced by L. l. Dor
sey, trained early, and made to trot
hard at 3 and years of age, out of
dams that could never speed fast
enough to 90 on a track. But these
mares were from a sire that trOtted
hard at years old, that boosted Of the
purest strains of the Arabian horse,
crossed on the best English race horse.
The form of the mares and their high
race horse Compartments, could alone
vouch for the high blood that flows in
their veins. These two fillies, Fleety
and Lucille, were trotted at 4 years
old, and at and s years old mark 2:20.
If our Eastern friends believe the as
sertion Of S. T. H., that Mr.. Alexander
and L. L. Dorsey have injured the
Kentucky trotting horses by train
ing them early, they can, if
they choose, come to our sales and buy
equally as well bred ones that have never
been even broken, and by a slow
process of training them see if they
can improve them as 7. 7. H. says.
If this theOrist is right, at ten years of
age, a two-minute horse may be ex-
pected. Old Hambletonian stood East
for about twenty years, and begot over
a thousand sons and daughters. He
has been the boast of Orange county
for years. Fortunes have been spent
IN getting fast mares to breed to him
at $500 the colt, and yet in these TWEEN
ty years he has got but one FLY colt
and out one gelding that has trotted
as low as 2:20, whilst L. L. Dorsey,
who is accused of injuring the trotting
stock of Kentucky by early training,
brings out two filhes, six and eight
years old, IN one season that Jog home
in 2:20, and these two sold to one and
the same man in New York.
Should this showing prevent Eastern
buyers from coming West to get
fast stock at moderate prices? And
there are plenty more of Just such as
those, both trained and unframed, as
they are offered for sale to the highest
bidder once or twice year. IL you do
not like the Golddusts. why you can go
to other breeders, such as Col. West,
who sold Lulu and Nashville Girl. If
you like Hambletonians, you can 60 to
Mr.. McFerrin. or a hundred other
places where they breed from sons or
grandsons Of the old hero of Chester.
But take my advice, and get one, no
matter of what bree ding. with the form
and temper of race horse. He may
not be so steady for the first year or
two in races, but if he have the early
speed and thoroughbred form and |
temper, be patient; time will habituate |
him to the slashing of whips on the |
backs of coarser breeds, and soon he |
will be steady, even though it should |
thunder.
Ola Kentuck and S. T. H. may both |
be right IN part, by not meaning the
same thing by the words early train
ing" To the latter, it means strain |
ing and iniuring colts in their early |
and growing years. practice that all |
condemn. The Kentucky breeders are
entirely right in seeking to increase |
muscular power and speed, when bone, |
tendon, muscle, heart and lungs are all |
growing, and able to attain a more per-
feet development by earnest and APP
propriate exercise. 1t is by early and
lifelong use, In handling a heavy ham,
mer, that the right arm of a black
smith attains its strength and size. }