Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-18

BRING COLT UP TO TIE RACING PorNr-cARK-
FUL TRAINING NECESSARY.
The familiar sound Of the bugle calling the
horses to the post, the cry Of the bookmakers.
They're at the post now. Who wants to back
emp will soon be heard at the Benning track
and the Washington sport will Sumter up to
the festive bookmaker in winning kind Of
style and plank down his hard-earned dollars,
while visions of his horse coming in first and q
hat full of money dance through his brain. Il
cannot be exactly stated at this time what his
condition will be after the race, but if past ex-
perience is worth anything his winning smile
is short lived.
Just at this time there is . great activity
among the trainers and horses at the Bennins
track, getting ready for the spring meeting Of
the Washington Jockey Club. which takes place
at the Benning course, beginning on the 2sth
The training of the horses is now in full blast
and every morning they may be seen speeding
around the track. The trainer of race horses
is an early riser, and upon him alone rests the
responsibility of the horses condition when the
sound OF the bugle calls him to the post. There
are other early risers besides the trainers
Nearly all of the bookmakers have men en-
ployed to watch the working of the horses and
report daily their condition. These men are
good judges Of horses and can tell in an instant
T.
their judgment greatly influences the betting,
for no bookmaker is indiscreet enough to lay
big odds against horses which his watcher" re-
ports are lit and stand well to win.
THE TRAINING OF RACER.
The training of a race horse requires great
deal OF knowledge, Judgment and skill A SrAA
reported was an early visitor at the race track
yesterday morning and watched with greatdeal
OF interest the workings the horses as they
for Aaxr ~. m .
IN great many cases the owner stands, watch
in hand, timing the horses and carefully noting
their performances at the different distances
Approaching trainer, who although young in
the business has good and promising string
OF youngsters, the reporter inquired something
OF now race horse was trained. He said:
"A young thoroughbred destined for the
track must be as carefully watched as a baby. In
the first place, the quarters of race horses must
be necessarily kept clean and well ventilated;
the stalls must be roomy the straw clean and
the feed boxes as free from dirt as the best
regulated housewives punch bowl. The first
thing to teach the colts is patience under the
natter. The first year is generally occupied in
this. BY this time the youngster is ready for
the next lesson. which is to my mind the most
important of all, that is, the handling. 1t is
customary to introduce the youngsters to the
track after they are two years old. but the
training proper does not commence until they
have been thoroughly broken. The first thing
Tor horse to learn is to be bride wise.
HOW TO TAKE THE BIT.
''He has learned patience under the halter, but
the bit is a new thing to him and a freedom he
is likely to resent with force. OF course to get
horse or any other animal accustomed to
anything you must first gain his confidence.
Many colt. like many man, has been rem
dered utterly worthless by being improperly
handled in the first place After the horse has
been broken to the bride the next thing is to
break him to the saddle. A light saddle is ad-
lusted and stable boy put on his back. 1t is
best to do this branch of the work in a large
stall deep in straw, for the high looded
youngster resents this freedom and tries his
best to throw the rider. 1t is of great import
ance that you have an experienced rider in the
saddle, for If the colt succeeds il. dislodging his
rider he never forgets it and will try it when
ever an occasion presents itself. If, however,
after the first two or three attempts he finds
that the rider will not be shaken off, he soon
gets tractable. After that comes the training
proper. The early spring is about the time to
commence. Work begins by heavily blanket
ing the horse and sending him two or three
miles at a pretty stiff pacs. This puts him
in heavy sweat. He is then brought in and
scraped. The scraper is a strip of hickory
wood, crescent shaped and sharp on one side.
This is run all over the horse and all of the sweat
Is scraped out The horse is then rubbed until
dry and then blanketed again. This about con-
stitutes the training. OF course different train
ers have different methods. and l am giving
you the one generally followed.
RAPID TRAINING NOT GOOD.
"The training should not be rapid. for you
are liable to over-train your animal, just as q
prize fighter is overturned. In horse lore
that is what We call going stale horse
gets in the very pink of condition. and by over
work breaks down. As the day approaches for
the race the trainer becomes buster. The
horses have to be keyed up and the fast
work begins. 1t is the custom to speed the
animal distances little longer than that of
the race. Sometimes horses become track sick
by being put through their trials too often.
This makes boilers and jumpers. The day be-
fore the race the horse is sent along at a slow
gallop to work out his stiffness, and on the
morning of the race he is turned out early and
sent alongfor an eighth or a quarter of a mile
at rapid gait to make sure Of his speed. He
is then returned to his stall, and at noon given
a light feed of oats and a very little hay. His
water is measured out to him, for nothing in
the world makes horse 60 wrong more than
too much water. just Immediately before the
race the horse is sent around the track at a
pretty stiff pace and taken to the paddock and
walked around until the trumpet blows or the
bell rings for him to go to the post. Then the
race is run. After that the horse is walked
around again under a blanket to keep from tax
ing cold, and retires to his stable for q days
rest