The Washington herald., 1911-10-29

best put up thus far for either side, as
both are able men and men Of wide OBJ
servation and experience.
At the meeting Of the American Asso-
citation Of Trotting Horse Breeders held
at Lexington. Of which Senator Bailey
is president, the last named made an ex-
tended argument on the subject Of such
force that there ts every prospect that
the rule will be changed to his liking.
We have long been Of the opinion that. IN
consideration Of the fact that Futurity
candidates nowadays are trotting and
pacing as fast as the average of aged
horses, and in consideration Of the other
fact that young horses are not fitted
physically to stand the strain that ma
ture horses are capable Of bearing with
out becoming cripples for life, that from
a purely humane viewpoint the old rule
Of three heats in five should be abro-
gated.
In last weeks issue o< The Sunday
Herald we quoted the views Of Starter
Frank Walker on the subject. No man
now living has had a larger turf expert
ence than Mr.. Walker. He condemned
the three-in-five system in hot terms. 1t
seems to US the duty of all horse owners
to keep their charges as sound as possible
and not take out OF them more than
necessity requires. Why should the owner
of a good three-year-old be compelled TO
run the chance of breaking him down in
one season merely to test his powers Of
endurance?
How many three-year-olds come back
In subsequent years as sound and as
speedy as they were when they made
A. ~ FNTna
ent rule? A very small per cent indeed.
To begin with, a great deal is taken out
Of a youngster to prepare him for his
engagement When he is prepared, more
still is taken out him when he is shipped
about the country and raced. His vitality
is sapped Just so much; his feet, tendons'
and muscles at an immature age are
compelled to stand an extraordinary
strain, and no wonder the physical
and nervous structure of the youngster
snaps at some vital point.
We concede that we are engaged in
this country in building up trottins
breed. We have succeeded in SO doing
to the wonderment OF the civilized world.
We concede that one of the tests Of
race horse is his power Of endurance
But In order to test his endurance shall
we 20 to the point Of retiring the animal
for racing purposes and shall we lessen
his worth for breeding purposes by de-
manding more than flesh and blood can
endure? Is II not better to stop short
of that and keep our horses as sound as
conditions may permit, and thus conserve
their vitality for future uses? More and
more as we advance in the science OF
breeding we shall race our horses at
tender age, as has been the case Tor
some time past with thoroughbreds.
We are reaching the point, II we have
not already reached 1t, when 1t Is no
longer necessary to wait for trotting-
bred horse to be i've years old or upward
befoe ne begins to be worth something
to his owner as a racing tool But In
order that he shall become a money
Garner some scheme must be devised
whereby he shall not be untimely slaugh-
tered and faung into the Junk heap before
his usefulness has fairly begun Senator
Bailey has begun q rnuch-needed reform
and we know him well enough to Know
that he would never have enlisted In the
cause now so close to his heart II his
great experience and keen observation
had not taught him that he was on the
right road and that the future usefulness
of the trotting breed was in imminent
peril