Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-03-29


TRAINER
Mr.. James Golden, of Mystic Park. who Is
the most successful trainer and driver IN New
England. and is at least the peer of any pro-
fessional in the country. likes to starf his
horses in the spring with easy weight work.
that is, let them jog slowly with two or more
men to a heavy wagon. He also believes in
road work, and in giving his horses q little
jogging over rising ground, as such exercise
brings into play a set of rhews and sinevs
which work in conjunction with the muscles
on which the great strain is placed in trotting
on a level surface. Mr.. Golden is an ardent
believer 10 modern thought and practice in
training and driving the trotting horse. In
conversation, day or two since, he said he
rarely gave his horses more than i've miles
of work in a day, and he took q longer time
to prepare them for track work than most
trainers do, as he believed in a gradual ten
sion of the inner muscles which a horse
bring. ints play in his natural trotting action.
If the outer muscles are first hardened, IL IS
i'm possible to prepare the trotter for good
work until he is turned out and the muscles
permitted to relax, after which lie must be
carefully logged and ample time taken to
harden him up and thus prepare him for
speed MANY a good horse is ruined" said
VI T.
which ne is not in condition TO do. but which
he is capable Of doing with little attention
and proper preparation" Mr.. Golden opens
hi. horses out twice week in preparing them
for track work. He starts them on a slow
jog which is continued for II miles; then he
opens them out gradually for a mile. by the
end of which they are at full speed. and for
the rest Of the distance they are opened out
fully
Has the style of track driving changed
very much of late years." was asked.
''Yes, we are continually learning some
thing" answered Mr. Golden. 81 think
drive differently from most people. My opin-
ion is that, while conditioning and prepara
tory jogging are important essentials in de-
veloping a horse. the most important factor
is the study of the animal, the driver, and
teaching the horse to study the man. A
horses mouth is often as tender as that of
human being and the bit can be made to do
its work without injuring or fretting the
animal He has intelligence of his own. and
is quick to learn. if carefully instructed"
TRICKS OF DRIVING.
That would appear well enough in driving
a steady trotter like Winship, but is not
'yanking necessary when horse leaves his
feet on break"
Decidedly not. A skillful driver most
always knows when his horse feels like break |
ing-the horse telegraphs' through the bit
and over the rein. A quick and careful driv
er can steady the animal at once If he does |
not succeed and the horse is galloping for
ward, / always wait until the nigh forward
leg is going out for action when a light move |
ment on the bit turns the horses attention
away from the idea of running, and before he
is aware of it himself he has struck into his
natural trotting gait, and is steadied and well
in hand again. The day of yanking and
whipping is past.
why don't we have long distance races
now? Haven't we horses on the turf at pres
ent a. good stayers as Captain MCGOWAN and
John Stewart"
We'll. yes. We have just as good stayers
and faster horses for the distance than Nc |
Gowan or Stewart ever were. think Maud
S. can trot twenty miles at least q minute
faster than McGowan ever did"
DO professional drivers differ much in
their method of driving races, and, is not the
strain severe when horse pulls hard?'
drivers have their own peculiarities in
handling their horses. don't tire in a race,
because have three changes. The strain
does not come on the arm above the elbow,
but on the muscles of the forearm. About
the middle of June my forearm will be as
hard as a rock. You will find that drivers
are strongest in the hands aud wrist. In driv.
ing a heat, have the advantage. first, of the
holder, which so adjusted to the forearm
that it cannot slip off. Then can hold the
reins between thumbs and forefngers, and
rest the hold by change to fore and second
finger, and then to thumb and all the fingers
of each hand Some drivers take a turn of
the reins around the fingers, but that is weak
euing, because il stops circulation. No; the
strain is not so severe as one might think on
a driver in 20-mile race, if he understands
his horse and has two three changes in
holding. We are continually learning some
thing new, and in handing horses in the sta
BILE, on the road and on the track, are far
ahead of the old-timers and the system fol-
lowed ten or a dozen wears go."-Bosten
Herald.