The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-27
SUCCESS OF CRESCEUS
MUCH OF IT DUE TO HARNESS
 MAKERS SKILL.
Something About His Boots and Other Racing Paraphernalia.
 Riverside Track Prepared for
 Interstate Events Tomorrow.

Beyond the shadow of a doubt the new trotting champion Cresceus owes much of his success to the harness and bootmakers' skill, says an exchange. Not alone must his limbs be cared for so as to entirely avoid bruising. but each particular strap, from browband to the crupper. constituting his har- ness, is perfectly adjusted, so as to ob- tain the best results and avoid friction, however minute 1t might be. Cresceus. when ready for fast mile. wears the comparatively recently in vented two-minute harness. and all, or nearly all. the protecting boots as yet fashioned for trorfDg horse.
 The bridle is furnished with blinds. and for a check rain he wears the high side strap, passing through loops on either side at the rosette. thence to the upper jaw bit. A face piece sup ports the supplementary bit and Is buckled into the crown piece. which passes over the head at the ears. A chin strap keeps his mouth closed and goes under the chin. buckled Into the check bit.
 An ordinary light saddletree sup ports the shafts. and directly parallel to 1t, at a point about a foot back of the saddle piece. the body band of the two- minute attachment. so-called. passes. buckled like the everyday sur- cingle.
 Short straps, fitted with thimbles at the ends. are extended from this body band to the ends of the shafts of the sr'ky. acting in the capacity of the breeching. The traces, or Jugs. extend from the same fastening point on the body band back through the loop of &L zAof %N ha f1 q huftnnS clips. No shoulder straps are needed. nor are the usual preaching straps en- circling his quarters required, thus ad- hitting of greater stride. as no strap crosses his breast to shorten the swing of the shoulder blades.
 He stands wearing a standing mar tingale. and also the ring martingale. to give the driver perfect control of his head when he should either pull hard or go to a break. He cannot lift his nose beyond the tension of the standing martingale. Hand loops are adjusted tc the reins. so MT. Ketcham can be sure of his grip on the lines. as should a rein slip through his hn- gers he would immediately lose control of the horse while at speed.
 Felt quarter boots, cut to exactly cover the forward hoofs, protect his heels. Felt shin boots protect the can non bones to the knees. Knee boots with an inner arm extension are buckled above the knee point and sup portad by elastic webbing straps pass ing over his shoulders at the withers. These straps are more to prevent the knee boots from dropping about his ankle joints. Should a buckle give way it would be extremely dangerous to the flying trotter, for were he to trip in a loosened boot a somersault would certainly follow.
 A system of protecting boots. jointed so as to admit of folding his ankles and coronet joints extend from the bottom of the hind feet to the hook. These are termed the shin and ankle boots. with speedy cut and scalping attachment and hook extension, which latter en- circles the hook snugly, and absolute ly covers all parts liable to be cut with his sharp hind shoes while at top speed as his hook action is high as we'll as sweeping.
 The front of the hindhoof is covered | and protected by the scalpers, and the speedy cut boots prevent contact at the front of the angle point a very tender | spot. The hook extension is directly in support of the curb joint Cresceus. | as a 4-year-old, sprung a curb, so the | owner desired to afford it as much of | support as is possible.
 Every buckle is leather covered to
 avoid rusting incident to sweating out, | and every strap is covered with
 chamois skin. to avoid chafiing in the | least.
 This system of booting from end to end is so completely fitted to the limbs
 and feet thsA each covers the part with sufficient fiexibility to entirely avoid checking the action of the joint. It is. | indeed a fine art, this boot manu- facture. and the entire outfit probably does not weigh above ten pounds. Felt | is used rather than leather, as II IS
 lighter, more cleanly and does moi | chafe.
 A duplicate set is in use for slow
 work and still another duplicate set
 for use should the horse break a boot
 at any part. These boots are expen-
 sive. The quarter boots cost about
 $l0. shin boots $l4, knee and arm ex-
 tension, $25. The hind shin, speedy cut
 and hook extension, with curb joint
 protection, cost $50 a set. The TWO
 minute harness of itself costs but about
 s25. yet the main harness costs over $100. Cresceus's reins cost at least s;0 a
 pair, and the bits are cheap at S10.