Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-08-27

UllZz5z1.
1. The perfect foot.
9. Excess of hoof at heel, causing deformity.
8. Excess Of boot at toe causing deformity.
is Robert Bonner. 1t has been a valua-
bic lesson to me to be present when Mr..
Bonner's horses were shod, and l am
familiar with many of their peculiari-
ties. Maud S. has a very pure gait and
wears light shoe. Her forward shoes
weight from ten to twelve ounces and
the hind shoes from six to eight ounces.
She could wear six-ounce shoe better
than any other if it would resist her
weigh and stay together. Before he
bought Maud S. Mr.. Bonner knew that
one of her hind feet had given her
trouble; but he was not concerned about
1T, although those who had been with
her for years said it could not he re-
moved. 1t was supposed that no doctor
,ould be found to remove it. The
trouble in the foot looked serious, yet
it was almost instantly removed by Mr..
Bonner himself when the mare came
into his stable.
Twenty-three years ago was in Mon
treal when heard that Dexter had gone
lame. left that city and came to New
York to cure him if possible, but before
arrived Mr.. Bonner had cured the great
horse himself. After that we frequently
consulte about him, as we'll as about his
Pocahontas, Bruno, one of the aightiest
of the stable, Flatbush Maid, Peerless,
Lady Palmer, Startle, Maud Mason,
May bird, Wellesley Boy, Taylor, Graf
ton, Herrick, Forrest Rarus and the
Queen herself, besides others who be-
came famous. %.
Lately, l accompanied Mr.. Bonner
when he went to Indiana to see Sunol,
the wonderful California three-year-old.
I think she is the greatest animal liv-
ing to-day, without exception. Her
equal has probably never been born.
The formation is faultless-6ner than
any thing l ever saw. 1t must be so,
since she has trotted mile in 2:l015 as
a three-year-old. Formed as she is, it
would be discredit to her not to go
fast; for she more closely resembles a
hound than any horse ever saw. Her
foot is perfection itself. We have many
trotters that never show any ability in
the field, to the great disappointment
of their owners, and too often the reason
is that their feet are misunderstood.
There are some people VINO claim that
the California youngsters are trained
too soon; but I see no reason why a
horse should not, under certain condi-
tons, reach his fullest speed at three or
four years, instead of five or six. A
colt will run just as fast as he ever will
when matured; we find this in the case
of a runner, and it is the same, too, with
a trotting gait; when the gift OF speed
is present and training is we'll done and
the feet properly attended to, we can
commence quite early.
l believe the time is coming when
the foot will be so thoroughly under
stood that we will have only one lame
horse where to-day we have ten. Mr.:
Bonners success in improving the mag
nificent speed of his animals is due to
the fact that he has been among the
first to appreciate the value of knowl-
edge of the foot l never knew an
other man who had made so exhaustive
study of the subject. Commodore
Vanderbilt's Mountain Boy was shod by
my method twenty-three years ago.
The Commodore had good, common,
horse-sense understanding about the
animal; but he had no science of the
feet succeeded in improving Noun
tain Boys speed, and his owner was sat-
isfied The difference between Mr..
Bonner and many lovers of horses is
precisely that which distinguishes the
man who acquires his knowledge by
persistent personal investigation and
the one who buys it ready made Idon't
think the younger generation Of Van
derbilts take as keen An interest in
horse-desh as did the old Commodore.
I recall with good deal of interest
my acquaintance with General Grant,
and how it began about horses. 1t was
about twenty-five years ago that he
made an appointment with me at Wash
ington. We met there three times al
together, and the General proved him
self not only lover of the horse, but
to have pretty good understanding OF
the subject. He brought out saddle
bay-one Of his army chargers be
shod and treated for habit of crossing
his hind legs while in action, and also
when standing. This was quickly re-
dressed, to the great delight of the Gen
eral who although he owned horses all
his life, had never supposed that the
formation of the feet was the cause of
standing in this manner. 5>%
When Governor Leland Stanford, of
California, was in New York, several
years ago, his famous horse Occident
was brought to me to be shod. Occi-
dents feet were a1most perfect Even