Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-12-22
Bel11tn1tt Chronicle.
THURSDAY, DEC. %. 1882.
Robert Bonner on Horses.

Robert Bonner on Horses.
From an Interview in Kate Fields Washington.
Undoubtedly my taste for horses was
inherited, though for years latent. L
have seen the spot in Ireland where my
ancestors killed an OK to feed to the
hounds, but not till l reached middle
life did turn my attention to what has
since become my greatest pleasure. Sut-
fering from oyerwork, was advised to
buy a saddle horse by my physician, DR..
Samuel Hall, cousin of Rev. DR.. John
Hall; to following his advice attribute
my vigor at the age of 90. DIR. Hall
bought horse for me in July, 1856,
saving: If you ride an hour day, it
will do you more good than any medl-
cine l was then 81 years old. Find
ing the saddle too violent, substituted
driving, and in three months gained 25
pounds. The longer l drove the better
/ felt and the more interested became
in horses, but never owned more than
six at time until | bought farm.
Whenever | saw a better horse than l
had in my stable, bought him, and sold
the least desirable of my six"
"Is it a fact that Sunol was lame when
you bought her?''
"Yes. knew it, but Senator STAN
ford didn't. l told his superintendent
and trainer, who were afraid to inform
the Senator of what, however, gave me
no concern, as l knew that the trouble
-, 81 Ia Nnxrr or licfan n
this from that old book I've mentioned"
who's the author?"
"W Osmer, regular surgeon who
found out things for himself, believing
with the Scotch proverb: The fox never
found better substitute than himself
"sWherefore, know all men by these
presents, that whOsoever talks of horses
being chest foundered, or shook in the
shoulders, is an ignorant pretender to
the knowledge of this animal, and is
himself shaken in the head
What do you call chest founder, in
terfering and overreaching?"
"Too much toe. An unbalanced foot
makes. an uneven gait and accounts for
the trouble with horses. Again, take
the coffin bone, the lower pastern and
the upper pastern bones, placing them
in position on table in front of you,
and you will find that by eleyating the
heels or wings of the coffin bone you
necessarily depress or lower the ankle.
The effect of elevating the heels has
never been understood, so far as know.
Keep the column of bones in its proper
position and navicular disease has no
terrors for me-"
"Does anybody know anything about
horses?"
There are exceptions, of course.
There's Alexander Dunbar, of Washing
ton, who was paid $4,000 to teach our
army veterinary surgeons how to care
for cavalry horses. Alexander Stephens
carried the bill through Congress dur
ing Grants administration. At first
Gen. Mead opposed it, but when Dun
bar cured what Meigs called a knee
sprung horse he relented."
"Has not Roberge, of New York,
great knowledge of the horses foot?"
you've named the one man to whom
go for council. Iron sharpeneth iron.
] am deeply indebted to him in many
ways. He knows how to shoe horse
and he is competent to write about the
horse"
"Apropos of Sunol, I've theory that
California will produce better horses
than any part of the country, because
they can be trained all the year round"
"It is more than probable. l know
that horse that quits here the latter
part of a mile will go to California and
and endure to the end. Speed is devel
oped there earlier"
"Will this shorten the life or a horse?'
"Ive given no thought to that query"
"What you have thought about, l
dare say. is the similarity of man and
beast of the consequences of wearing
high -heeled shoes"
THAT reminds me of Henry Ward
Beecher, who came into my office when
my young daughter was there, the lat
ter wearing high heels. Beecher turned
to me saying. Robert Bonner, thought
you had more sense than to let your
daughter wear high heels 1t was just
reproof."