New-York tribune., 1905-01-09
SCHOOLING OF HORSES.
Il Necessary Part of Their EducG-
tion That Is Often Neglected.

Schooling at the barrier has at last become an
important part OF the early education OF thorough
bred. Even now the baby racers which will later
figure in the two-year-od contests. are being IN
structed to break from the barrier. At the Local.
tracks. where many thorouShoreds are In winter
quarters, and at the private farms opportunity Is
now offered for such schooling. and the majority
of trainers do not neglect this important feature
of their charges education 1t is only recently that
trainers have to a full realization Of the
vital Importance Of careful and thorough schooling
for their horses 1t took long and bitter experience
too even after the adoption OF the norecal system
of starting. when the necessity was greater. Some
trainers still remss in this respect in spite Of
daily object lessons and for these punishment is
meted out from time to time oy the refusal @ OF an IN
entry until properly schooled IT would be Well II
the Jockey Club would add a fne as Wen roT eX-
less trouble at the starting post
This subject was brought forcibIy to attention
by the running Of the first two-year-old OF
the year at New-Orleans last Wednesday R. W.
Waldens F1igrane colt Verdant won, and the fol-
lowing comment the pertinent: Yer
dant. we'll schOoled the barrier. broke fast and
earned a distinct advantage number of the
others did not to understand what
Quired OF them at the start. and lost valuable
ground" There will be many more examples like
this, even when the season IS well advanced in
the metropolitan district. Among the older horses
the early education Of which was neglected in this
respect there may be some extenuation- A horse
amount Of schooling seems to have lasting effect.
Two-year-olds. however. are tractable and easily
taught in most cases. and If enough time were
devoted this branch of their education, the start
ing would be prompt and better and the races run
more nearly true. Through lack Of proper school,
ing. and consequent misbehavtor and greenness at
the post. many horses finish behind the money
when the running they should have won, or at
trainers do not the Importance of all this for
their own advantage they should be made TO see
II in the interest of those who make racing possible
by their patronage. The turf rulers have done
much in this line and owners and some trainers
have helped, but stronger measures would not be
amiss TO force those who are negligent TO send
their youngsters to the equine kindergarten, and
thus start them right
Tokalon. by Tammany-Enid, which has been en-
tered In Brooklyn. Suburban and Brighton han
dicaps was generally conceded to be the best three
year-oId fly in the West last year. Her admirers
even declared that she capable OF facing the
speedy Beldame with a chance OF winning although
this idea secuted by those who knew the great
Octagon flly. Tokalon did not race in the East so
that a meeting not possible but her perform
ances in the West such that her entry in the
big mile and a quarter specials is welcome and ac-
ceptable. Her principal victories last were the
Twentieth Century Handicap, the Premier, Monad-
she mile in 1:40 10 with III pounds up, and