Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-06-17
A HALF MILLION IN HORSES.
BOnner's FamOus Breeding and Train
ing Farm.
WNrl-


The men who make up the sporting
world are growing accustomed to seeing
a young horse step upon the racing
track, make wonderful time, beat all
the favorites Of the season, give prom
Use Of an eventful future, and then be
quietly withdrawn by its owner, to be
sold To Robert Bonner, editor of the
Nelv York Ledger. The horse is then
usually dead to the betting fraternity,
for Mr.. Bonner never allows his horses
to race for money or moneys worth,
and scarcely more frequently does he
sell one of his favOrites, and so permit
It TO return to the ranks of the
professional racers. His purpose has
been to improve the breed Of trotting
horses, and he seems to have been &C
tuated as much by a desire to benefit
individual horses as to crafty himself
by owning and Propagating the best
samples OF the best breeds. His tieeter
horses alternate IN occupying his city
stables, and are seen only when driven
by Mr.. Bonner himself through the
Central Park or along the road. When
they need r, ct they are sent out to the
stock and breeding farm in Tarrytown,
and there they are housed and cared
for as they might be cared for if they
were human beings. Personally, Mr..
Bonner has studiously applied himself
TO q cduIring veterinary skill, and to OBJ
tanning a thorough theoretical as well
as practical knowledge of the organ
ism Of the horse. Especially the anat-
omy Of the hoof and the diseases to
which it is liable have attracted him, so
that his own Judgment concerning the
course Of treatment for curing a sick,
or improving a well horse, frequently
overrides that Of his o7erseer and
grOOms.
THE FARM.
Mr.. Bonner's stock farm lies three
miles east Of TarrytOwn, on a plain
more than five hundred feet above the
level Of the Hudson. 1t can bereached
from the TarrytOwn depot only by
rough drive over the stony hillside
which stretches all the way from the
river to the boundaries Of the farm.
The farm is devoted solely to the vast
interests Of the horses that live on it
most Of it lying in broad grazing pas
lures, from which the stones that used
to cover the fields have been carefully
moved and piled in the shape of solid
fences to protect the BaddOcks. The
turf is as soft and springy as that Of
the prairies, so that the horses can be
turned out shoeless, to gallop about
without danger of bruising their ten
der hOofs; and an Unstinted use of fer
tilIzers have resulted IN early and heavy
crops Of rich heritage.
In well-sheltered part of the farm
are the cOmmOdiOus stables, large
enough to accommodate the eighty
horses owned by Mr.. Bonner; for some
times nearly all of them are In larry
town at once. The stables areof wood,
are thoroughly warmed IN winter, and
well lighted, dry and airy. The horses
are kept IN handsome condition by the
grooms, and are fed regularly at SIX
IN the morning, at noon, and about
IN the evening. The average allowance
Of grain is about nine quarts daily,
though the quantity varies according
to the age Of the horse and the amount
of work which It Is called upon to per-
form. The extreme limit, though, sell
dom exc is twelve quarts. Once a
week. on Saturday night, the country
horse5 are given a feed of boiled oats
and bran, and twice a week the horses
stabbed il the city get q similar diet.
THE TRACK.
C.ose by the stables is a three quar-
ter mile track, enclosing ia acres Of
fine pasture, and surrounded by a
strong stone wall. In shape It is OBJ
long. 1t has been carefully laid GU,
and graded with the truest and easiest
of curves and the greatest attainable
exactness in length. The bed of the
track is twenty-five feet wide, and al
though only a year old, it is in excel
lent condition, having been rendered
firm and clean by the use of suitable
composts. Here the young trOtters are
frequently exercised and carefully
speeded. The time Is taken and re-
coraed, and though two or more horses
are usually driven side by side, TO add
all the Indictment which racing lends
to their efforts, the track is for tram
ing alone, and betting on results is
strictly prohibited.