River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-03-26
DRESSING THE TR0TTERs.
/ improvements Which Have Helped Lower the
| Record-The Multitude of Fixtures for

| improvements in horse fixtures
! have almost reached their limit. - a
+ Chambers street saddler and harness
t maker said, land If it were not for the
many improvements in the past thirty
I wears the records would not have been
/ lowered to where they are now. Any
i horse-breeder or trainer will acknowl-
edge that. because the principal i'm
provements have been suggested by
practical breeders and expert trainers.
/ Without taking into account the great
+ improvements in road wagons and
sulkies, which for lightness and easy
running are very marvels in compari-
son with the heavy and ungraceful
/ vehicles of twenty-five years ago, the
] improvements in harness alone are
enough to slice off some of the records.
Besides, they are cheaper. A good,
/ seryiceable, light single harness can
now be made for Sc. The trimmings
are, of course, tin plated, and the
stitching is plain. From that price
single harness run up into the hun
dreds, the nickel, lead, silver, and
/ gilt plating, rubber covering, line and
wave stitching, and quality of the
/ leather adding gradually to the cost.
I Il suppose the truck harness of to-
/ dav is about as safe, strong, and per-
/ feet as is possible. The cost runs
/ from $50 up to S95. For the last nam
/ ed price we can make a harness with
/ three inch saddle, rubber trimmings.
i single leather traces sewed on the
I breast-collar at one end, and the other
end lined eighteen inches, with three
holes to take up at the whiffietree !;
/ single leather breeching, with edges
beveled and FURNISHED smooth and
rounded inside breeching straps, with
edges rounded flat hip straps, with
edge rounded patent check, with
check bit and half-check trotting
/ snaffle fine pad cloth under the sad
die, flat reins with patent book billet at
/ the bit, wide belly-bands with roller
buckles, saddle lined with enameled
/ leather. The stitching is fine and
/ neat, in handsome designs, and the
/ loops are all hand-creased. There
4 isn't an unnecessary part about it, and
/ it ought to satisfy any horseman. The
! harness that Maud S. trots in cost
+ 1925. 1t is light and fine, and was
specially made for her.
'You can imagine that q horse
when driven to his utmost speed must
/ have everything about him easy and
I comfortable as possible. 1t is the
/ same as the best efforts of man who
/ has a bad-ftting collar or a rough
\ edged neck-band. 1t irritates him,
I and he is thinking more of the annoy
ance than of his business. If a horses
/ girth is too tight, or any other part
+ chafes him, he can't trot as fast as he
might. Sometimes the shaft-girth
slips over the saddle-girth, pinches
! the skin and pulls the hair. The
/ horse feels that, and he is worried.
/ By the way, the very latest improve
ment is saddle-girth and shaft-girth in
one practical improvement, /
mean, because the improvements in
ornaments, such as chains, buckles,
/ buttons, and designs for mOnOgrams
and the so-called handy attachments
are almost endless. For ornamental
/ ton look at the four-in-hand position,
! four-in-hand coach, long-tug coach,
| with embossed work, coach, wagon
/ cite, rockaway, and carryall harness.
/ They are as different as the horses that
/ wear them. The tandem harness is
/ palmer and heater, and the coupe and
! dog-cart harness are substantial and
/ neat. The village-cart harness is in
| russell or black leather, trimmed with
/ nickel, silver, or brass, and the price
/ is according to the amount of work
and the quantity of the trimming, say
/ from S25 to 800. To my eyes the
most pleasing sight is pair of sleek
trotters in q light double harness.
/ Each strap does its work, and is an aid
/ to the horses. The best costs about
/ $175. The cheapest is $25. 1t has
/ pads with timed trimmings; timed
rings in names, with timed buckles in
the tug; small buckles japanned; flat
winker braces on the bride; round
/ check-reins; patent-leather collar and
hard belly-band and martingale.
1.-The gentlemen seen driving fast
horses through the park every pleas
ant afternoon have suggested many
improvements. They know what is
needed, and besides, they know how
! to tell us. Mr.. Robert Bonner, for
/ instance, has his own ideas about the
| fixtures for his horses. 1t isn't chance
with him. If ne wants a piece of har-
ness it must be so long or so short, or
round, or fiat, or wide, or narrow.
| Mr.. Vanderbilt knows what he wants
! for his horses but he doesn't come here
/ himself. He sends Mr.. Phelps, who
describes what Mr.. Vanderbilt desires
/ to have. Mr.. Frank Work is also a
4 practical horseman, who has valuable
/ ideas about fixtures for horses. And
/ the professional drivers-well, what
/ they don't know about fixtures for
trotters is hardly worth knowing"
''What was the cost of the highest
/ priced harness you have ever seen?"
Give thousand dollars. 1t was in
Philadelphia during the centennial
exhibition. 1t was gold-mounted and
stitched in elaborate designs. 1t was
clumsy and awkward, and nobody
would buy it. In fact, wouldn't
take it to sell for $1,000"
bits have changed very much, be-
lieve.'
''Indeed they have. A horses
mouth is one of the hardest parts of
! him to fit, so to speak. Some of the
/ old bits were perfect instruments of
/ torture. The rubber-covered bits, stiff
and flexible, are highly approved. The
/ steel bits are made in dozen of shapes
and for ali complaints, such as side
! pulling, Juggling, and tongue-lolling,
/ and are stiff, jointed, and flexible. The
! boots for valuable horse cost almost
/ as much as those for a man. The
/ quarter boot is to prevent injury by
/ over-reaching, the toe boot on the
/ hind foot to prevent the front foot cut
ting the hoof by striking back, and
the lawn boot is for walking on lawns,
pulling on over the shoes. The shin,
ankle, knee, hook, and grab boots have
been worked down, or up, as you
/ please, to fine point. Besides, we
have soaking boots for the hoofs, and
sleeping boots to prevent and cure
lunches under the front legs. Here is
! q boot to use on the back of the front
/ legs, and is used as a strengthened to
the tendons and guard for the back
and either side of the leg. The flat
boot is a standing boot, to be used
when horse stands with one foot
resting on the other. The movable
sandals or shoes are more especially
for use in a business where the loss
of s shoe would be an inconvenience
or loss. Elastic stockings are intend
ed to prevent sprains. The polo-craze
brought out the polo-boot to prevent
injury by hitting with the mallet.
Some of these boots. which cover
half the legs, apparently hinder the
action of the horse, but close exami-
nation will show that they are neatly
z oarof,,llxr attaohoI anJ of