St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-16
CHARLIE RADCLIFFE.
He Spends the Winter in Cali
fornia, Where He Sees Some OF
the Best Horses.

He Spends the Winter in Cali
fornia, Where He Sees Some of
the Best Horses.
Charlie Radcliff, who was born and
brought up in st. Paul, land loves horse
more than some men love their wives,
has lust returned from California, where
he has been all winter watching the
horses. He visited all the breeding farms
in the state, and says that he has had
his eyes opened as to the breeding prob
lem and the way of rearing and. teach
ing the colts how to trOt. He says Sena-
tor Stanford's ranch, of many thousand
acres, is one immense school or kinder
garten where the colts, as soon as they
are weaned. are taken in hand by the
trainer, and from that moment they are
all taught and trained daily. The train
ing ground is a small track built the
same as a regular racing track, with
stretches about 200 feet long. The turns,
of course, are necessarily rather sharp,
but that does not make much difference,
as the little ones are not called upon to
go fast around them. The stretch, how
ever, for fully 200 feet gives them good
opportunity to let themselves out to the
best of their ability. The colts are kept
in pastures adjoining the training track,
and are let in upon the track one at
time, where they are booted and have
all the toggery put onto them that is
ever seen on an aged horse, to prevent
them from interfering or in any way
cutting themselves. A small bride is
put onto them and then they are let
loose. Two men are engaged in the
business of training on the track. One
stands in the center, near one end, and
the other occupies similar position
near the other end. When the colt is
turned loose Oh the track he seems to
know, by instinct, what is expected of
him, and starts off at trot. If
he breaks racket is made. and
the whips are cracked about his
ears and he is made to know at once
that he is doing that which he has no
business to do and he instantly drops
back to the trot, when all is quiet and
right. AS soon as one colt has received
his lesson he is turned out into the
pasture and another is brought in upon
the track and given similar lesson.
Sixty or seventy colts are taught in this
manner daily. Mr.. Radcliff says it is
wonderful how easy it is to make the
little fellows understand what is wanted
of them, and how easy it is to teach
them. He says that they know when it
is time for them to take their lesson just
as well as the men do who give the in
structions, and when the time comes
they all come up from the pasture and
huddle around the entrance to the
trotting course and patiently wait
for their turn to go in and
take their lesson. Mr.. Radcliff is very
favorably impressed with California as
a breeding state for the trotter, and
thinks that it far surpasses all other
states in the natural requirements for
breeding, rearing and teaching the
trotter. He says all the young stock
comes on faster and is larger and better
developed at the same age than is the
stock in the North. Besides, it is much
cheaper to raise stock in California than
in the North. He saw Lady Russell,
the dam of Maud S, at Palo Alto stock
farm. She has fine colt by Election
eer, and has been bred back to him.