Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-26
4 HORSE
on EDGE
BIZ [. D. SALE.

Every driver has to meet and solve each
season the problem how to keep his horses
on edge once they are in condition to race.
A very small percentage of horses race
consistently the entire season. The horses
that get or early In the season are either
drawn SO fine that they fever and bake up.
and consequently do not sweat out as they
would Edo when IN proper condition, or get
on their feed as a resultant Of their condi-
ton, and end in training OFF," to use a
turf expression. Horses that train or
soonest are those of super-nervous organ
tzations. As rule they are small eaters
fret in and out of the stable, and usually
wear themselves to frazzle before the
Dell rings. Although the weIl-bred horse.
or any horse. as to that matter, Is credited
with possessing little sense the track horse
knows when he Is going to be raced as
well as does his trainer and owner. He has
had it drilled into his small prainpan that
certain movements by his caretake~ and
trainer means certain objects, and as his
experience has been chiefly confined to the
race track. in his dumb way he reasons
out just what Is going to happen. Every
trainer and caretaker can substantiate
these statements
X
vous kind It will circle its stall like Gagged
tiger. break out In sweat, and frequently
trot or pace Its race before the harness is
placed on Its back. 1t is a common oc-
currence for race horses tit to race FOR
mans life to get off over night and be I'M
nit for their duties or the day. Such
mare was the Hamlin phenomenon. Fan
tasy, that was a champion three, four ana
hve-year-oId Alice CarneaI, dam OF Lex
ington, was another example of the super
nervous temperament, while our own great
local trotter, Silver Socks, 219A, is an ex-
ample of the kind that would not eat
enough to keep up sufficient vitality and
strength to last him the season through.
n H. Copperthites Ida e., 2.l31s. one OF the
fastest PAGERS owned in the District, is an
other of the super-nervous examples who
has never been able. up to date, to utilize
all of her speed in consequence Of tenn
peramental disease.
AS general proposition, the giutton-the
horse that consumes the most oats and
cleans up the most hay-is the horse that
lasts longest on the track and wins the
most money, even if in speed he be trifIe
inferior to others in his field. The racing
period covers, on the average. about ninety
days. 1t takes, the average, sixty days
to properly condition a horse for a bruis-
Corners. The race horse, then tthe trotter
and pacer), is compelled at the beginning
or each season to face, il he race once
week. the most exacting, cha rrow1ng
and muscie-tearng work to which beast
can be consigned. His brain. heart, lungs,
muscles tendons and kidneys must be in
the very pink of condition to stand the
actual test of racing (Which is the supreme
test of his ability and earning power), or
he Will break down, and a whole sea son
work thrown to the dogs.
In addition to the time lost must be
counted training bills, expenses for boots,
harness, sulky. shoeing, breakages of va
rious and most annoying kinds. and at
the most inopportune moments and ex-
penses OF shipments, etc. II the horses
heart does not break, very true 1t Is that
his owner very frequently goes broke. and
yet some people have been heard to re-
mark that owning race horse is one con-
tinuous round of pleasure; while as
matter OF fact. 1T is one continuous round
of putting ones hand In ones pocket to
the elbow from the hour the horse goes
into the hands OF its trainer. Lucky is the
race horse owner who energies from
campaign as good a Christian as when he
began and with an enlarged bank account.
He shall be seated among kings, and the
poor devils who tottered by the ways:de
and sweat blood and went broke shall fail
down and worship him.
+
1t may be set down as a general propo-
sition. the faster the horse the more diff
cult 1t is to keep him on edge for the va
rious duties he Is compelled to perform.
The wonder is Cat the high rate of speed
horses nowadays go) that so many stand
UP under the strain and remain sound AS
q matter of fact only n car,fa 90
OF hgh-class trotters and PAGERS do go
sound. One has only to follow the de-
tailed account of q seasons racing to dis
cover this fact. 1t Is because of this that
a reform is going forward among horse
owners and trainers in favor OF a two-in-
three system, In place of the time-h onored
three in five. The old system did very well
when miles in 20 and rs were consid-
cred quite fast time. Now d horse selected
10 race in fast company on the big tracks
must be able to go three or more heats
around 30, or he might better be kept In
his owners stable. 1t is the pace that
kills, and the coming racing season Will
test the question on nearly all the big
tracks whether the curtain has not been
rung down forever on the time-honored
three In five horse killing system.
DEElIcEn N10 nm