The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-31
INDIANA HORSES.

|
| few years been purified until they have
become legitimate means of diversion
sfor the American people, Likewise the
proper breeding and careful raising of
fast horses has been developed into an
| established business. Scientific minds
have been laboring for years with the
many difficult problems connected with
| the development Of the bone. muscle.
limbs and vital organs Of the horse as
we'll as the intelligence and docility of
the brain of the animal that stands next
to man in the graduated scale of the
animal kingdom. until its speed has been
increased to a degree that has surprised
even horsemen of the present day. and
they can say with proper pride in their
achievement that they have not been left
behind in the wonderful advancement
the world has made during the last two
decades. The horse Of today is as far
beyond his progenitors as man is be-
yond his ancestors of even a generation
ago.
This has been accomplished solely by
those who have devoted their time.
money and talents to the development
Of the horse. it having been denied to
the animal, in the wisdom of the Crea-
tive Power. the ability to evolve by means
of careful study and close comparison
the laws which regulate strength, SYM
metry and speed as well as the powers
of endurance which are the necessary
result of a gradual and healthfuI deveI-
opment
The noble animal. which is seen upon
the race tracks today fun of speed and
spirit and entering into the excitement
Of the race with the same vim and vigor
as does its owner, is the product of years
of proper mixture Of the several strains
as we'll as the result Of healthful train
ing and the advantages of proper food
and salubrious climate. and soil All
must he present or the horse cannot
advance in the scale of development
No country in the world can compete
with the United states in the produc.
ton of fine horses and no state in the
country can equal Indiana in raising
aud developing horses for. speed. The
East formerly claimed the honor Of
raising the fastest and finest horses
and the tracks of New York. Massachu-
sets and New Jersey enjoyed years Of
undisputed MONOPOLY Then the Pa
cihc slope. with its warm climate and
milli1naires, expended vast sums upon
stock farms and race tracks. but its
glory declined and its sun sank below
the horizon when the Stanford stables
We're sold and the expensive aggregation
of fine stock was separated. the greater
number coming east Of the Rocky noun
tains never more To return. Iowa has
been a formidable rival of the cffete
East and during the past few years In
dependence has shone brilliantly in the
turf world. but its glory has reached its
zenith. Chicago has made strenuous eff
forts TO attract the fast animals of the
country by offering large purses. but as
soon as the purses have been captured the
horses have been again shipped To their
homes Michigan has entered into the
business with some success and some fast
time has been made upon the tracks at
Detroit, while Cleveland and Buffalo
have entered the list for the honors.
Kentucky, proud under the appellation
Of The Blue Grass Country" for years.
has been a great state for the production
of the finest horses in the country. but
for the past few years it has failed to
keep pace with its competitors and even
Lexington has ceased TO be important as
a racing center. During the past two
years not record has been broken upon
Kentucky soil.
Since the race horse has been developed
TO its present degree Of perfection, when
it would almost seem that there was
nothing more to be accomplished, horse
men Have been seeking for exterior con-
ditions that would operate as aids to
the lowering Of records. Pneumatic and
ball-bearing sull1ies have been tried and
found to be successful. This has sug-
gested the unicycle and experiments are
now being made with the one-wheeled
vehicle. Kite-shaped tracks have been
tried with partial success. and horsemen
are daily racking their brains to invent
additional aids TO the Accomplishment
of faster time. Speed has now been de-
veloped to that degree where one-fourth
of a second is worth hundreds of thou
ands of dollars and the Importance of
these exterior aids becomes primal.
The chief feature to which horsemen
have been turning their attention during
the past few years and especially dur
ing the past racing season is the rela-
tive speed of the race tracks of the coun-
try, and as all other exterior aids have,
il seems, been exhausted, the faces Of
the future will be run upon the tracks
that have proved 10 be the speediest.
Experience has shown that the fastest
tracks must be built upon the most mod
ern principles, upon low. level. tough
sodded and marshy ground that affords
the proper resistance as well as fur
nishing the necessary spring. with the top
dressing Of the proper composition and
consistency. and having in addition the
necessary facilities for rapid and easy
transportation, and being located cen
trallv that the horses Of the East ae