The record-union., 1896-10-04

between horses as to the necessary
amount OF work to fit them for a race.
Inc great Ramapo, which won for Mr..
Gldeon many thousands of dollars, al
ways had to be worked at an enormous
rate before he came to condition. His
owner recently said in the Herald"
tnat ne used to feel sorry for Ramapo
When he was being put through his tri-
ais under Trainer Hyland's orders. They
were so severe that hardly any other
morse could have stood up under them,
put they were absolutely essential to
the great racers success. The slightest
relaxation and he went back at a dis
astrous rate. The failure of Ramapo in
england this year is ascribed by Mr..
Gideon to lack of hard, tireless, and un-
rtmitting work.
Other thoroughbreds come easily into
condition. In the case of Jere Dunn's S
hlly Sunny Slope, which has been win
ming pretty steadily at Brighton Beach,
only three months of training were re-
quired, and none of it was noticeably
severe. Indeed, at one time in the
spring, when Mr.. Dunn had been away
for a fortnight, he found on his return
that his three filieS were being worked
too rapidly, and ordered their tasks
decreased. When he bought these ami
mails he had no idea of setting up a
racing stable. He happened to be pres
ent at a sale of yearlings, and the
| three he has named Sunny Slope, Lady
EloiSe and Diana'S Daughter were go
ing at such ridiculousy low figure
that he purchased them. When his en-
thusiasm cooled he began to try to get
rid Of his purchases at any price. Once
or twice he offered to give them away
to horsemen Of good repute, and finally,
when he discovered that they were
on his hands for good, he put them in
training. Sunny Slope has "won out"
the stable several times over, winning
time after time at long odds, well
backed by Mr.. Dunn and his friends.
Sometimes, in the cases of the owners
| of the smaller strings, two or three of
them join issue and run a stable on the
commonwealth plan. The expenses at
| the end of the month are added up and
then divided pro rata. This arrange
| ment enables man owning only three
| or four horses to keep them in trim
upon comparatively small outlay, and
makes 1t possible for a horseman to
| indulge his taste without the desirable
accompaniment Of a large bank ac-
count
Race horses have a pretty good time
| of 1t aside from the hard work they
| must do. Their comforts and wants
| are attended to quite as carefully as
| if they were members of the human
aristocracy. The process of cooling
out" horse after a race illustrates
this point. "A good rider said one
of the best known trainers at Sleeps
head Bay yesterday, when a race is
over, has brought out every ounce Of
| speed there was in his horse The ami
| NAL has been keyed up to his highest
possible pitch of effort There is where
the very finesse of horse handling is
| observed. The horse must be kept
warm outside and gradually cooled off
| inside. He is blanketed, his mouth is
sponged, and he is kept moving Three
| OF tour swallows of water are given
| TO him, and he goes on moving Then
ne receives more water, and after a
While more yet He is shampooed thor
oughly from head to foot with witch
hazel, sometimes containing a little
arnica, to prevent stiffness in any Of
the muscles, and is gradually allowed
TO cease moving. A sand bath is a
great thing for horses, and they vastly
| enjoy 1t, rolling over and over upon
| the sand heap until their coats are
| fuIl OF the fine particles. In Cooling
| out there must be no mistake or the
race horse may be irretrievably ruined. ("
| When racing stable is not in win
| ming form it can be an extremely ex-
penslve luxury, as, for instance, when
| many of its inmates are not in cond,
| ton to run. Under these circumstances
| the cost of carrying on the stable itself
is added to by the forfeits that must be
/ paid whenever it is necessary to with.
| draw nomination. These run all the
way from $40 to more than $500. and
| the owner whose entries are "scra tcbed,,
through illness is likely to exhibit bad
| temper when spoken to on the delights
| or horseman's life. There is probah ah1x-
no more uncertain branch of legitimate te
| sport in the world than racing. The
chances Of loss are very great. But. on
| the other hand, the possession of not
more than one or two really good young
| sters every year will not alone clear all
| the expenses of the stable, but. If the
owner is strong better, will make q
| good deal of money for him beside
Then, too, there is the excitement. That
| Is worth something, of itself.
|