Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-05

man who was in the crowd said they had
none. The utterance was shock to those
of us who had supposed that Of all the
equine tribe the racehorse, because of his
breeding and his intimate association with
men and boys, came nearer to possessing
human intelligence than any of his com.
mon brothers.
But the circus man said no, and he knew
He had trained too many horses in his
business, and he knew that cold blooded
animal could learn to do tricks and would
do them quicker than a thoroughbred aud
that a thoroughbred could never be de.
pended upon to deliver the goods.
That's what's the matter with racing
form" he went on You fellows with
your dope sheets aud all that don't know
anything about horses, There's where you
/ lose. You may figure a horse to win and
/ you kick when he doesn't But he isn't
/ in and out because his people are dis
/ honest He does it himself uine times out
/ of ten A thoroughbred horse has more
| nerve than any other, and having that he is
/ also more stubborn and has more notions Of
/ his own.
Il know from experience that you can
never depend upon one to do his turn in a
/ circus simply because he gets mad and
won't And it's that way in his races.
/ Some days he will go out and run up to his
| limit. There are times when his stomach
is out Of order or he has the blues or some
| other ailment, from which mankind suffers,
and he lust doesn't try. He will give an
imitation of it to get away from the punish
ment but no amount of whipping and
spurring will make him give his supreme
effort
Trainers know that some days their
horses come to the barn after race all out,
aud they do not get back to a normal con
dition for a day after race The same
ones come home on other days take their
cooling out work and go to their eats, abso-
lutely fresh.
Horses thoroughbred horses, know
enough to soldier on you, and they'll do it
every time they get out Of humor. Don't
you suppose that after he has run a race or
two he knows exactly what is coming to
him when he goes out on the track' Well
he doesn't always want to race, and when
one doesn't ] don't know anything that
will make one do his best
That's a new idea Well, you can have
it for what it's worth, but any man who
thinks horse is always trying is foolish
OF course, anybody can see a downright
sulker back up and refuse to extend him
self The ordinary horse doesn't do that,
but he runs Just as slowly as he can to keep
up appearances, and gets through with the
job at as small an expense Of muscle as he
can.
1--WE trained thoroughbreds to circus
ring traiks, but I never could depend on
them. They are liable to spoil an act any
time by either refusing to go through it or
else going so slowly that the dash was all
lost and the act failed Any old farm horse
will learn quicker than a thoroughbred and
will stick to the business better after he
does learn. He hasn't the spirit to fight
you about it."
That is a decidedly new suggestion among
the many that have been advanced to ac-
count for variations in what has come to be
known as racing form 1t has its value in
that it lets out great many fellows we all
know But thoroughbred horses do learn
some things and learn them hard, and there
are racehorses that are far more anxious to
win their races than the boys who ride
them.
Did you ever see Tea Tray at the post7
Tea Tray has the reputation of being bad
actor but he wasn't He merely wanted
to get off in front Caldwell the starter,
could tell you something about Tea Tray.
and he also knew that the manoeuvriug
that took place in front of the starter was
done to get the best Of the send-oR.
It was no uncommon thing for Tea Tray
to come up to the line for a break and then
seeing that he would be off badly, whirl
with the boy and go back for another try
He would try to sneak up on the Others
just as a dog will sneak in on an enemy
and he would get a neck in front Of the
line and force a break himself
I have seen him thread his way all around
| a bunch of horses at the post to find place
that suited him aud then he would line ~
for the flag, But if he didn't have shade
the best of the break he would back out anS
refuse to take it,
Caldwell used to know him and his trick
and he would tell the boys not to fight him
but to let him have his way. That Away
meant that Tea Tray would make the star
when it came, and that he would get a bi
the best Of the proposition. He didn't sulk
e he merely wanted to beat the others to Il
And generally he did it.
Dick Dwyer, who has been rider, traine
< and starter, tells much the same story o
that clever mare Mary Black. IT think sh
I was the most intelligent mare ever saw a
the post When Johnny Reif began t
T ride Mary Black was a young mare, an
nervous like all of them, but she was choc
a full Of common sense. Enoch Wishar
trained little Johnny on her because sh
n was so easy to ride and Johnny learned hi
IS lessons on getting away from the post b
e riding her.
j. She did all the work and all little Johnn
: had to do was to SIT still and be pre- pare
for the break that Mary would make. Sh
e knew when 1t was a start or when it WASH
l. just as well as did. When II was a falls
n break she would stop quickly, turn aroun
J. and come back to the post without Johun
y 50 much as lifting finger; but when sh
II saw the front flag fall, she was off, an
Is sitting before the other horses had got tn
y hump from their boys. Mary Black kne'
and liked little Johnny and treated hii
just as if he we're an infant; and he WASH
much more at that"
Here is a thing about thoroughbre
b. horses that not all trainers know. Game a
;" he is when he wants to show II, you ca