The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-09-01
THE TRoTTING HORSE.
Cause of Present Depression In the Trot-
ting Horse Market.


This pertinent question was put to the
Hon. Joseph c. Sibley, member of con-
gress from the Twenty-sixth Pennsylva-
MIA district, this evening at the Shore
ham.
ITO enter into all of the causes that
have led to the present depression in the
trotting horse market would take more
time than l can spare at present" said
Mr.. Sibley. ''In general way the fault
lies mainly at the door of horsemen and
horse breeders, which / will illustrate
DIS progress in my diagnosis. The pub
lie must understand that there are at the
present time hundreds of men breeding
horses, some for profit and few for the
pleasure they find in the occupation.
However, out of the hundreds engaged
In the business only small percentage
breed intelligently. Too many breeders
are ignorant of and Indifferent to blood
lines and the science of blending them,
the result being that the market is glut-
ted nowadays with trotters that cannot
trot, with horses that ought to be draw
ing plows and lumber wagons.
"Then, again, the standard craze
has transgressed all reasonable limits.
Individuality has too frequently been
sacrificed to pedigree that had no other
merit than blood to sustain it. With the
sacrifice of individuality there have been
foaled large number of scrubby, mis-
shapen, understood and oftentimes blem-
lshed animals, which in turn nave been
sent to the auction mart. Nine times
out of ten they have been too slow for
the track or road driving, too light for
draft or general purposes and too small
and homely for the carriage.
Another cause for the present depres-
sion in the trotting horse market is by
bidding at auction sales. There are auc-
tioneers that are honest with seller and
buyer, but l am sorry to say they are
largely in the minority. 1t is within my
own observation when l state that
know of horses sent to the auction blocks
by their owners with the distinct under
standing that if they did not bring a
certain price they were to be bid ins
while at the same time it was given out
in advance by the auctioneer that the
sale was to be positive and without re-
these things, have become suspicious,
lost confidence, and as rule are stay
ing away from auction sales or not bid
ding if they do attend them.
"Last, but not least, the Urotting horse
industry is suffering from dishonest rae
ing associations and unfair and dishon-
est judges in the stand. When a racing
association will permit wealthy breeders
and owners of horses to enter with the
distinct understanding that if their
horses do not win races in their class no
entry fee is to be demanded of them
while others are compelled to pay. ac-
cording to the rules, to the last cent,
such discrimination is injurious to the
horse breeding industry and disgusts
breeders. Not only does it disgust hon
est men who breed horses, but these
things deter gentlemen who would be
willing to invest large sums of money in
a breeding stud, tend to cripple the sale
of stock and by implication the breeding
business in general. In addition to this.
more horse papers are published than
there is healthy demand for, the con-
sequence being that the rottenness which
/ have illustrated is either defended or
ignored. Only few are honest and out
spoken enough to openly expose and de-
nounce the things spoken of. Until we
purify racing associations and the entire
turf paraphernalia and return to honest
and open and above board methods, I'M
til every breeder erects high standard
of breeding and breeds up to it, the slump
in the trotting horse breeding business
will continue"
"Then you think high stud fees cut no
figure in the depressionY"
81 certainly think they do not. do
not know of a stallion standing for a
high fee today or that stood for one for
the past year which is not worth the price
asked. Nor do | know of one that did
not have his book full. Why, paid a
81 900 fee for a service to Axtell. not
only paid the money willingly, but con.
slider that got the worth of my money.
When ST. Bel was alive his fee was $500.
and even at that figure his bookings were
at premium. l have no doubt that
high as are the service fees of AriOn, AL
lerton, Kremlin, STEAMBOAT, Axtell, Sid
ney and numerous other high class stall
lions, their books will fill rapidly, which
is the best evidence in the world that
their fees are not too high"
"You have some of the blood of The
Moor in your stud. have you not?"
Eyes, and value it highly for breeding
purposes. 1t is hot blood, but virile and
full of that mysterious quantity called
nerve force. l have daughter of Beau
tiful Bells by The Moor that is very fast,
but inclined to nervousness like her dam.