Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-02-25
GYMNASTICS FOR HORSES.
A veteran Horse Trainer Thinks Trot5ing

Veteran Horse Trainer Thinks Trot5ing
Eecorels Can BE Reduced.
have invented ways and means to
Introduce the horse to a series of gym
nastlcs which will shorten the time
| many seconds on trotting records, and
there is no reason why a we'll bred horse
subjected to my gymnastic exercises
cannot mako mile in two minutes, =
said Professor Bartholomew, the horse
educator, recently at Independence to Il
number Of horse fanciers.
Wonderful advancement has been
made IN breeding and training horses
during the past 40 years, but with scion
tific gymnastics added to a horse S train
ing it is sure to cause yet greater sur
prises in record breaking. The human
body has been wonderfully developed by
gymnastlc exercises, as every one knows,
and had this idea Of gymnastics been
Introduced IN the training Of horses
years ago, " Professor Bartholomew con
tinued, greater advancement would
have been made along the lines Of speed
and endurance
"a horse can trot a quarter Of q mile
sou that ii horse can make q record Of
q quarter OF q mile in 80 seconds, and
it has been done, ne can be put in con-
dition to go mile at tho same rate Of
speed Crack drivers have failed to put
their horses in the proper condition So
far, and it is very doubtful if the pres
ent system Of training trotting horses
will ever bring about two minute rec
ord or less.
''Some will ask, How can a horse
work in gymnastics? But if the princi-
ple had been grasped by horsemen years
ago it would havo undoubtedly been put
in use | have the principle without
mistake, and winter is the time to dc
the work In winter horses, as a rule.
are losing speed instead of gaining.
1.-THE exercise | subject a horse to
will result i'll activity and long reach
and will cause running horses to make
better records as we'll as produce more
speed in trotters. I refuse to tell how
these results can be brought about, sim
ply for the reason that some man would
undertake to practice my theory with
out Judgment and knowledge of appli
cation, and he would fail to produce
the desired result The public would
condemn the principle, which | have
demonstrated to my own satisfaction.
have never undertaken to prove my
theory to the trotting fraternity, hut tho
theory can be demonstrated III tho
course of a series of gymnastic train
ings, say, in four or five months. With
horse gymnastics the feetest horse can
improve as much as the slower ones
that undergo tho same drill. Every
muscle and fiber Of tho horse is brough5
into play, until, in prize ring parIance,
he is in the pink of condition,
"a prizefghter while in training for
the ring has his skin. scalp and bones
hardened until he is turned into tho
ring . perfect man physically Every
muscle has been exercised with view OF
endurance. He has punched the bag,
taken long runs to test his wind and
reduce flesh-in short, the condition of
the prizefghter is brought about by
gymnastics The same thing can be
done with a horse, but the exercise on
race track won t do it. The animal
must have gymnastics and be brought
TO the pink Of condition before he can
break record. He must be taught to
walk on his hind legs, to strengthen tho
muscles Of the back. He must be taught
to lie down, roll over, reach out and
gather quickly-in short, he must be put
through scientific course Of gymnas-
tics until every muscle shall be brough5
into play, toughened and strengthened.
To do this he must be a trick horse after
being trained in gymnastics Great re-
suits will follow in the way of speed
and endurance. 3"
Professor Bartholomew is veteran
horse trainer and has enjoyed national
reputation for years as such. He has
ruddy face. deep set blue eyes and wears
his iron gray hair brushed back from
his forehead. He resides at Lndepend-
ence and owns one Of the handsomest
residences i'll that suburban city. Ho
formerly owned the greatest walking
horse in the world The animal could
cover a mile in "a square heel and toe
walk in ten minutes and go the gait
day in and out at the rate of six miles
an hour The professor disposed of the
animal in California some years ago. -
Kansas City Journal