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I . I I r • I 1 J t • " ; ■ 1 • ■ 1 • ; 1 ! CAPTAIN CASSATTS VALUABLE WORK. Translates, Frcne h Experts Treatise on Production of Best Typo of Horses. "Mechanic* Applied to the Race- Horse" U the title of an interesting and valuable littl" treatise translated by apt. K. B. Cassatt from the Freneh of Col. H. Chaste, commander of the remount region of Turbes. one of the high, st authorities of Prance. In his translator** preface Captain Cassatt says that in asking Colonel Couste-s permission to tranxlate this valuable work lie was desirous of reaching three .-las-,. The rlasaes to which he refers are the American cavalrv and nrtiUery otli-rera, the officer* of the Bureau of Animal Industry at Washington, and through them the horse raising population of this country and the- racing man anil breeder of thoroughbred horses. Although it is possible that tin- book is somewhat too technically tcieatiae in its phraseology to appeal readily to the average horse owner, especially at tiie outset, it i; not difficult for the merest liynian to arrive- at the conclusions which the- author has sought to inculcate. A careful perusal of the book and a study of the diagrams which accompany the text cannot fail to enable the reader of average intelligence to comprehend Colonel Couste-s contentions, and white some may be inclined to anestioa tin- conclusivem ss anil accuracy of the deductions srhick be draws, it oan-1 not be doubted that his arguments are logical and we-11 worthy of careful and serious consideration. The trend of the- argument presented is that the physical conformation of the sprinter and that of the stayer or long-distance horse an- essen- tially different, and that tin- popularity of short - distance races is causing the disappearance- of race horses and sire-s which arc- built for longdistance- races is om- of the tendencies of exist lag raring conditions. He point* out that the sprinter should have an upright shoulder, long cannon bones and a low- or drooping croup, while- the high croup., oblique-1 shoulder, low lioe-k and short cannon bone* belong only to the stayer. He proves this contention by an elaborate anil scientific analysis of the movements of a race- horse in motion, as exploited bv Instantaneous photography. Intended to show thai extreme speed is induii-d by a laborious action which cannot long be maintained. Of course, raring history is full of instances calculated to prove that great s| d and an ability to win long-distance races have been found in the same- hois-, but at the same time Colonel C.uste presents argument* which appear irrefutable in support of his theory, and insofar as mechanical construction is concerned, and it is more- than probable that bis conclusions will hold good in a broad ami rnoaprchenMve view of tin- question. In any event, it is highly desirable that the bre-c cling of horses of the sprinter type-, which he-describes, shoulil be- discouraged and that it should In- the aim of breeders of thoroughbreds to breed staying horses in preference t.i sprinters. A careful perusal of his book cannot fail to l e instructive to any student of horse breeding. He treats the subje-ct scientifically and from the viewpoint of a militaray man who is espee ially desirous of encouraging the production of thoroughbreds which shall be eminently suitable- for crossing lip-in cold blooded niare-s with the- purposes of breeding high -das* army horses. His arraignment of short distance- racing and the practice of encouraging the racing of two vear-ohls is forceful and telling and it should bear desirable fruit in bringing about a reform in racing practices, not only in France- and England, but especially iii this country. Captain Cassatt has rendered the horse bree-eling Interests of this country a valuable- service in trans -1 lating and re-ndering available to the horsemen of this country this little book, whteh is a classic- iu its line, and his excellent translation cannot fail to find many readers who will be- materially bene-1 fitted by its perusal. Especially valuable will be found those paasagl ■ in which Colonel Couste points out the various characteristics of tin- tyoes of saddle horses, accurately differentiating between the respective conformations of animals espee iaUy adapted to the carrying of heavy or light weights.
