The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-07

New York sun: The finding of the
stewards Of the Jockey Club, in the
case OF The Friar the winner OF the
realization Stakes, has caused many
persons who know little about race
horses to express establishment that
horses should possess such things as
nerves, and that they should be gov
ernei by much the same conditions as
human beings. Men who are familiar
with the turf, know that there are us
many variations OF temperament in the
saulue us in the human family, and that
t1e same treatment will rarely serve for
any two horses
The strong claims which Trainer Wal
don advanced for The Friar's Vagarles
az form, which undoubtedly saved him
fn5m punishment at the hands Of the
racing powers, was the extreme ner-
yousness OF the son OF Friar'o Balsam,
AFR, Walden said In his testimony that
The FrIar was one OF the most nervous
horseS ne had ever seen on race track
and that the colt unquestionably IN
berlted the Characteristic from his dam,
the I.ongfellow mare, Lizzie Baker. In
spsakIng of Lizzie Baker in n state
ment issued to the press and the public,
the ttainer referred to Shis mare as the
most nervous thoroughbred he had ever
handled. He had known her to be-
come so thoroughly unstrung on the
eve Of a contest that she would lose en-
Irely the control OF her hind parts, and
would drag her legs helplesslY after her,
Much OF her disposition, he argued, had
passed to The Frlar.
Know When Race Ia On.
II IS well known fact that great
many OF the most prominent performers
on the turf know when they are going
10 be raced, and they will do nothing
but pace about in their stalls. breaking
out into sweats. and betray all of the
nervous anxiety which schoolboy en-
terlng on his first race shows. He is
oll trembling as he stands at the mark
waiting for the pistol. Every nerve Is
vibrating IN spite OF the firmly set teeth
and the clenched hands II takes sea-
son or two TO overcome this, and some
OF our best athletes never overcome 1t.
ONLY men of Malcolm W. Ford's type
ave steady on the mark, and RS only
the cuol-headed, phlegmatic members
a, the horse family that go into con-
test without any trembling or quak-
ings.
Old campaigners can tell by the man
ner In which they are being handled,
when they are TO race, and on tho eve
Of the battle many OF them will refuse
their food. The sight OF q silkeR Jacket
Is enough 10 set some OF them trembling
and the sound OF the band or field of
horses In motion Is common cause OF
nervousness In thoroughbreds. At the
post they are all eagerness to be away
and some Of them are endowed with al
most human intelligence They realize
when they have the best or the worst of
II break as quickly and oft-times quick
or than their riders, The writer OBJ
served this popularity in number of
instances last winter at New Orleans,
where an electric machine was used to
start the horses. Among them was o
Texas-bred named r. Q. Bun. This
horse was as fleet rs the wind for five
iurlongs, and while quiet enough until
the time came for start, when the bar
He would crouch at the gate. every leg
would trembie, muscles would be all u
culver and he would be the picture OF
nervous excitement. When the locks
clicked Ban was always away with the
speed of the wind.
Nervousness Very Common.
There Is scarcely n trainer at any OF
the large tracks in the vicinity of New
York who could not tell story of ner-
yous horses which have been in their
stables. For many years the judges and
starters of our race meetings were be-
Eeged daily with applications from
trainers OF horses TO have them sad
died at the home quarters instead OF in
the common paddock kept for all ami
mails that raced on any particular day.
Permission was easily obtained for
years, but of late the stewards have
frownel upon the custom, inscriptions
pers0ns having taken advantage OF
their kindness and abused the privilege
and nowadays man must prove that
he has an unusually timorous racer to
gain the boon he asks. And even then
the horse must be brought TO the pad
dock gate 10 go with the balance OF the
field in the post.
Probably the most nervous horse now
being raced around New York is the
Brookdale three year-old. ElRinS Ma
ture intended this son of Uncas for
frst-clasS colt bu. the moment he
scents the air and makes up his mind
that race is on the tapis. he breaks
out Into a profusc persplration, dances
10 the post. and then executes elaborate
figures until the froth drop1 from him
N bucketfuls In this way he has
ruined his chances In number Of big
stakes, for he wastes his energies be-
fore the Tag falls aud does not have the
necessary strength to show his true
form.
Use or StimuIRnis Wrong.
SimuIants OF various kinds have for
Years been tried with varying results,
on horses Of the nervous type, but this
y seems, would be mistaken way to
N'dl with the weakness. II Is like add
lng fuel 10 fire to pour whlskcy or Eher-
W dorn the gullet az q crazy brute Ia
whose head wheels are already rcvOlv-
.1s 30 rapidly that he IL dazed by the
.uI1 as they speed round aud round.
fuf currlsh or CrayCn-hchrtod thor,
ouFhoreds n uood gtout slug Of whls-
'ry has been known to work wonders,
o0l some N them are 80 arlstocraic In
l1'lr tastes that nothing but cham
plglc Will satisfy them.
ir'nhE are compelled TO resort to
0'I Forts " strategy with the nervous
.,oracs la their cbarEe it IS not an un-
9nl''lr sight to IND horses going to
we port with hoods on their heads their
'f 'u Aemmed LIS by biindrFa that
F can Ne" nothing but limited spnco
Ih.nly In front N them. Some oven 80
.N.iNur, and, stWfiiRg the cnfH NJ thu
'."7 with cotton, Tic strings about
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