The Washington herald., 1911-10-08
Delicate Operation on
Thoroughbred
Watching

HERE came out OF the West in the days OF
Morris Park old sport. who had Just
one horse, patched up cripple named Daniel
r. At the bush meetings in the Middle West
and the trans-MiSsissppi country Daniel B.
had been an occasional winner, but he not looked
upon having much chance against the higher class
horses OF the East. He had fair of speed but
his legs were bad and. in addition. his throat had
been operated ON and silver tube inserted in his
wtndEire,
One day the old sport entered Daniel B. in cheap
selling and Daniel B. made a show of his field
A. is customary the winner was put up at auction.
Some thought Daniel B. was a bargain and bid
him up Daniel B sold to him. The old sport
had no idea any would try buy the cripple and
apparently did not appreciate what happening
until the judge, acting auctoneer, said Sold"
Wbcn the purchaser, having paid the money. led
Daniel B. away the old sport shouted Hold on
there. You bought the horse but the silver belongs
to me- Thereupon he took the silver out of the
horses throat aud marched off Without the silver
tube Daniel s. could not pump enough air into his
lungs to gaIlop block. The new owner who up to
that time did not know about the tube apoogized sold
Daniel B. back for less than he paid for him. and the
silver tube went back into Daniel BIS windpipe
Surgery as applied to the lower animals has ad-
vanced very much since the Daniel B. affair, but
the obscure veterinarian who operated on Daniel B.
certainly artist The silver tube has been
tried Oh many thoroughbred horses roarers particu-
larry, but it hardly be called success Roar
ing is caused by partial paralysis of the left re-
current nerve. track is a dusty place and
when horses are raced they take lot of air Bto
their lungs Nature equips the horse with a screen
in his throat through which comparatively few par
ticles of dust pass. The surgeons have screens on
the silver tubes they put into the windppes of race
horses. but the clog and restrict breathing
Somehow the man made screen does not give such
good service as the queer one nature provides
One odd result of the action of the New York
Legislature in suppressing betting race tracks
may be the checking temporarily of veterinary
surgery of the most advanced kind upon thorough
breds. Racing in America had been developed along
abnormal lines. The richest prizes of the running
turf were for the two year olds-the immature and
growing racers. In forcing the youngsters through
severe campaigns turfmen frequently called nature
to do too much To smash records, tracks were made
harder 1t is doubtful whether there was any real
improvement in class through these methods.
A very great many. perhaps majority, of thor
oughbred horses in the United States are unsound.
Excessive racing Of the twoyearold is held respon-
sible in the main for this condition The horse. as
a racing machine, sacrificed for the passing
glory of a new record though breeders both public
and private, and sportsmen owners were far from
through it a standard of superiority might be de-
ermined The ntrmities of a horse. however,
grew into large business for the skifu veterinary
surgeon for long as horse can be patched up Z
he may serve as a money gettcr And the vets"
n meeting The demands of turfmen, have made dis
overics and performed operations undreamed of
generation or two ago.
1t is supposed that when a race horse breaks
bone-an important bone--he is done for. Generally
he Is but there have been some remarkable instances
Of recovery through the veterinarians skill James
B. Haggn's mighty horse waterboy the greatest son
IF the Watercress and one of the best horses
he turf ever has bad. had fall at Morris Park as
/ threeyearold breaking his hip bone. The portion
# bone broken was not large but the break was at
socket Few human beings ever were more deli
atey nursed than was watsrboy. He was suspended
slings for long time and recovered so completely
hat in the following year he was the champion of
he turf What Infnite must have been given
Q the case of this horse be appreciated only by
bose who know the dificuty in treating race horses
'hsteyer there is of nervousness in horse acceu.
lated to the highest degree in the race horse
Sensitive imperious and impatient be is far differ
ut from the colder blooded trotter or the ordinary
nimai. In fact operations that can be performed