The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-05
HAS SHOD ALL
The BIG ONES
AN EXPERT HoRsEsHoER TALKS
OF EQUINE FOOTWEAR.
Says Dan Patch Wears Seven
Plain Shoe in Front and Fiye-ounce
Cork Shoes Behind Other Styles
in Vogue.

Probably one of the most, if not the
most important part Of the rigging Of.
the light harness racers, are the shoes.
More care is given to the Shoeing of
the trotters and PAGERS than to any,
thing outside of the conditioning of
the horse. Some horses are more
easily shOd than others, but in most
cases shoeing is such a delicate
process that a fraction of weight on
the wrong place will cause a horse to
leave his stride.
Few horsemen thruout the country
have studied the Importance Of shoe
ing more than w. E. Rawson Of Glen
Vile, Ohio, who has the proud dis
tinction Of shoeing nearly all of the
latter-day champions of the turf. In
fact, Rawson has taken care Of such
notables as Star Pointer, Lou Dillon,
Dan Patch, Joe Pointer, Alix and John
A. McKerron.
John A. McKerron.
In an interesting interview Mr.. Raw
son said:
u travelled with Star Pointer and
Cresceus for three years, and shod the
champions before they went their rec
ord miles. The others have been fit
ted to shoes repeatedly in this shop
while training on the track or when
here for the grand circuit races.
I'm the case of Lou Dillon, the trot-
ting queen has been shod nowhere
else than in this shop this year, and it
is mainly the sWedge shoe that l in
duced Mr.. Billings to let me place on
the rear feet of the mare that. keeps
her from firing at the end of a record
mile.
ct is rarely that two horses have
| to be shod alike continued Mr.. Raw
son, "even among, the heaviest farm
| horses. This proves true with the
champion trotters and PAGERS, tho the
latter class Of horses demand more
care and attention in shoeing thar
others. Each horse has his own pc
culiarities, such as a tendency to hi
his knee, slip in front or in the rear
be generally unbalanced, or possessed
of other faults, that would preven
him from making fast time or keeping
his feet in a race.
'Star Pointer, for instance, wore {
seven-ounce shoe in front, corked uI
because he used to hit his knees bad.
| ly. The right fore shoe was larger
than the other and curved out at the
toe. There is a shoe which Stal
Pointer wore when he made i hi
mark said Mr.. Rawson, pointing tt
an oddly shaped one hanging in a case
full of handsome nickel-plated pat
terms which adorned the wall OF thu
shop.
THE great PAGER, as is the usua
custom, wore his heaviest shoes IL
front the set which he carried behin'
weighing but eight ounces. Cresceu
carried tx ounce plain shoes in from
and four-ounce swedge behind, tn
latter. being used to prevent TIL
great trotter from slipping, as he IVA
inclined to do with smooth shoe
lOtherwise, there was nothing peculia
about the shoeing of the great horse
unless it was the general leveling u
which was necessary when shoes wer
being shaped for his feet.
Lou Dillon. the trotting. queer
wore six-ounce plain shoes in from
and three-ounce swedge shoes benin
when she trotted the first mile eve
stepped in 200. Those shoes I place
on her feet.
.sDan Patch wears seven-ounce plat
shoes in front and fve-ounce cor
shoes behind. McKerron wears a
heavy shoes in front as any of the Oh
champions, the plain fore shoe weigh
ing eight ounces.