Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-06-26
Instinct Of a Race Horse.
A REMARKABLE CASE.

the instinct OF horse. Immedi-
ately after the last days meeting
Of the Maryland Jockey Club at
Pimlico this spring, Business, Ar
list, George West and two or three
other broken down racers were put
up at auction by their owner. Mr..
Joseph Donahue. AS is generally
the case, however, no one wanted
to purchase them, and with the
exception Of Jim Grow, none were
sold. They were taken back to
the stables, and on the following
day George West, the renowned
Steeple chaser, was sent to the
farm of Captain Powers, in Balti-
more county, and turned out on
pasture with a number Of common
work horses Strange to say, how
ever, the old racer refuses to asso-
ciate with the common horses, and
will not even remain in the same
part of the field with them except
at certain hours. Every morning
and evening during racers train
ing he is walked slowly around in
a small circle for an hour or So
These walking circles can be found
near the stables at every race
track, and they are usually about
100 feet in diameter. On the first
morning alter old George wv est
was turned out of the stable at the
farm of Captain Powers, he waited
around the stable doors for some
time, and Weighed as If impatient.
The old horse spent the entire day
walking up and down in front of
the stables. On the following NOR
ming he was turned out again and
after standing around the stable
some time he walked off to "a dis
tant corner of the field, where he
proceeded to walk around in cir
Gle of about so or 60 yards. The
walk was kept up for an hour as
steadily as he had ever done it in
his palmiest training days. After
exercising about an hour the horse
left his walking ground and caper-
ed around the field as il delighted.
In the evening it was noticed that
shortly before shutdown he threw
up his head, and, after neighing
once or twice, galloped around the
entire field seven or eight times.
He then suddenly stopped and
went to the small circle used by
him in the morning and walked
around 1T regularly for about an
hour. AT the expiration of that
time he went to the stable. These
exercises of walking and galloping
have been repeated regularly ever
since, and Captain Powers states
that the time George West begins
exercising each day does not vary
over a half hour. He was kept in
the stable two days without get
ting out, but when turned out on
the third he at once began his walk
and kept it up as usual. The 9TH
er horses in the field have followed
his example, and now every NOR
ming and evening seven common
horses may be seen moving regu-
larly around the small circle like a
string of racers, headed by George
West. The sight is a novel one,
and hundreds of persons have Wis
tied the farm during the past week
to witness it. Beyond the walk
ing, George West does not mix
with the common herd at all, and
takes his gallops entirely alone. -
George West is now over six wears
old, but there is probably no stee-
ple-chaser now living in this coun-
try that in his fourth and fifth
years won as many gallant races
as he has done. He was sired by
Asteroid, out of that fast old mare
Kate Hays. He came into Mr..
Donahues possession when three
years old, ,and after running on the
fiat for some time with moderate
speed, was in the fall of the same
year tried across country. He was
very successful, and in his 4-year
old form won no less than out oil
the 16 races he started for. 1t was
however, as q five-year old that he
became most famous, and with
Hugh Gaffney on his back, was by
betting men considered invinci-
BILE. In that year he won no less
than II races and lost 2,being beat
en- only by Bullet and Limestone.
The hard work attending the
training for 13 races and winning
eleven of them was too great, and
the gallant horse was brought
back to Pimlico.last fall, in badly
used-up condition. During the
winter he improved greatly, and
at one time it was thought that he
would be able to run again, but
his legs could not stand the sever.
ity Of the course of training pur.
sued in tie Donahue stable, and he
was retired. During his racing
days, George West defeated at one
time or another all the great stee,
nla-chasers In the country The