The sun., 1918-09-29
BEDWELL TALKS ON I
ART OF TRAINING
Famous Expert Gives Pointers
OnHow Thoroughbreds Are
Conditioned.
COMMON SENSE BASIS

When II. b. Bedwell took charge of
tho racing stable OF Commander ]. X. l..
Ross last year horsemen were anxious
to see whether the Western expert would
have the same degree Of success a.
marked his efforts when he trained for
himself.
For eight years Bedwell saddled more
winners than any other man in America,
while In 1916 he led the country in both
the number OF races and the total
amount won. His work this season has
been such as to bring him moro promi-
nently than ever before the public, and
with a view to determining what meth
DDS contributed to his success, Mr.. Bed
well was asked II he had any patented
right on the art of training. He
smiled as he replied.
Hardly I use common sense, that's
all. OF course the fact that no two
horses are alike calls for the exercise OF
judgment. try to give my horses the
same sort Of attention that a physician
gives his patients. II you keep a horse
normal and well he Is bound to respond
to training There Is no secret about my
methods
II use perhaps more cooked feed than
most trainers. Every night. unless they
are to race the next day, every member
OF my stable has a supply OF cooked oats
with little corn. This Is mixed with
bran. ! am a believer in hay. and keep
three kinds before my horses all the
time. like California hay, alfalfa and
mixed clover and timothy. A good hay
eater Is usually a good racehorse, just
as most men who are big eaters Of bread
are healthy and able to do n good days
work.
"All animals must have a certain
amount of roughase II perfect health 10
to be maintained. Always there is water
where horse may have as much az
|he wants.
! Plenty OF Air.
Another thing" resumed the expert
horseman. which think has con-
tributed to the condition OF my horses
Is the fact that winter and summer
there are no doors on the stables. 7
want all the air can get to reach my
horses. They arc clothed, Of course.
use three or four light blankets In
preference TO one heavy one. and these
are put on and taken of according to
the temperature. -.
Particular attention 10 paid to their
feet, Many years ago in Colorado when
was in the livery business ! had
couple OF tight boxes with mud and
water in them. and noticed whom the
horses were turned out to water they
fought to get into these stalls. Mature
is our teacher in these things. What
kept tho feet OF the wild horse perfect?
He had to mush around In the soil every
time he went to drink. and II Is reason
able to say that this was several timer
a day.
THE answer Is the fine feet you see
on all horses which run the range OF
are in wild state. Keep the foot a.
near nature as possible and tho prob
lem is solved. Tho frog should never
be permitted to get hard under any
circumstances" -.
Perhaps the best piece OF training that
Mr.. Bedwell has ever done under tho
eyes of New Workers. was the bringing
back OF Cucgel after his hard campaign
last spring. Those who had not seen
the big four-year-old between Aqueduct
and Saratoga were amazed at the con-
diton he displayed when stripped for
his engagements at the Spa. The horss
had put on at least 100 pounds OF flesh,
and It was as frin as marble. The
bloom on his coat had the lustre OF
satin and his eye was like a jewel.
When asked how ne had secured this
result Bedwell said:
"Physic. followed with light work
alongside pony. He came back like a
rubber bali. He was galloped with the
pony until he showed me that he wanted
TO run, and the rest was the usual
routine"
IL Is not often that one stable con-
tains two such cracks as Cudgel and
Billy Relly. and certainly they are in
hands where the public will have q
chance to see them perform.
Billy Kelly Cumming.
I'VE shall be ready 10 meet all
comers." said Bedwell. "anL will fulfil
every engagement as long as they are
ft and well. ! regard Billy Kelly as the
best two-year -old in the country and
don't think I ever have seen his equal.
As matter OF fact don't know how
fast he can run, for the little rascal Is
cunning and won't try unless he has to.
II worked him three furlongs at Sara
toga with Cudgel in 81 seconds, and his
nose was In front at the pole He ia
growing every day. and believe is go
Ing to be a god sized three-year-old.
lie is 1914 hands now"
Upon being asked what he Thought OF
the barring OF geldIngs from the classics
Mr.. Bedwell said 81 am IN accord be-
cause II Is bound 10 work for the better
ment OF horse conditions. but, like soma
OF the Breeders. I think there should
have been longer time set before Il
became operative.
Anything tina: is going 70 give the
country more stations 10 select from In
the work OF general purpose horse i'm
provement is good thing. would like
to see all the racing associations give "a
certain number OF races each meeting
where the winner would go 70 the Gov
eminent. ! would suggest that a part
OF the conditions OF such race would
give the Government permission to take
any OF the placed horses II they should
think them superior to the winner. the
transfer to be made either by trade or
purchase We can't 90 too much TO
augment the supply Of this type of horse
that will serve the needs OF the country