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AMERICAN METHODS OF TRAINING. Interesting Sketch of the Daily Routine of the Trainer of an Important Stable. The first rays of light were crimsoning the east, when a trap was driven at a short trot up to the gates of a stable at the race course and a colored man stood at attention and touched his cap in answer to the salutation of his arriin;; employer, whose greeting was a curt good morning, followed by the peremptory order, "Get them out." Half a dozen smart boys in corduroys and leggins opened sis many box stall doors and led forth their charges saddled and bridled ready for the track and whatever work the trainer might see fit to impose. Before tearing tbelhaaM quarters for the course the horses wen marshaled in line and Hie trainer passed sack one, inspecting them critically and searching for any evidence of unsoundness on tin-part of the animal or of carelessness on the part of the employee. Nothing escaped his sharp eye, and when he was satisfied that all was right he said laconically: "Oct up." and. turning on his hod. walked toward the training track, the horses following in Indian file. The head lad, so called, though on this occasion the man in question was upward of fifty, brought up the rear. Each l oy sat ou his mount with the greatest care, evidently bent upon mastering the trade of jockey in time and becoming a famous horseman. Ipon reaching the course the boys lined up their horses once more and the trainer began issuing his instructions. It was a mild canter or a brisk gallop for this bunch, a sharp srork-OOt under pressure for another pair and trotting skirmish, perhaps, for the others, the work of all varying according to Iheir engagements .Did the amount of pr.-parnt ion they required to put Una in skaps for Iheir races, or. once ready for the test, necessary lo keep them at their best. The horses were as a rule worked in pairs, and as they cantered or galh.p.d at speed tin-train. r ■too* grim and silent, watch in hand, to note how fast they moved. Keen Judges of Pace. Sometimes the jockeys or jockey under contract to the stable ride in the work, but there is scarcely a racing establishment which docs sot pssaesa on"-or more boys whose forte is this working of race hors.-s. Though some of them have never ridden in public races they surpass the professional jockeys as lodges of pace; that is. they can obey orders to the letter and knew intuitively how fast they are gelag, and these boys are very often preferred" to the professional riders on such occasions. With such lads in the saddle the trainer, whose orders may have keen given f,.r a mile in two minutes or a mile and a quartet in 2:lo, has little worry, but if the boy is a new one la the business there is always the duty of waving him on or stop ping him if he is ceding too fa t or too slow, as tie- case may be. This i accomplished with a hand kerchief, the riders having been instructed to watch for the signal. All tin- horses were trotted find walked for perhaps half an hour before they were ready for the hard work of the day. As each pair pulled up before the trainer tie ir mouths were sponued by attendants anil one- more they were aligned for inspection. Feet and legs were examined, after which tin ir bodies, glistening with sweat, were scraped. This was followed by a ling application of body wash. composed generally of equal parts f v.it.ii kasel and alcohol, althougk some trainers have special preparations of their own containing other ingredients. After a thorough bath in his the rubbing cloths were brought int.. play, the result being a beautiful steam to the coat and a horse ready for his breakfast. Each horse is permitted to have a half dozen swallows of water and is blanketed heavilv or lightly, accordlns to the season. Then the "start for home is made. In each box stall at the stable a bundle of savory hay picked thoroughly until oulv the purest timothy is left, is to be found, and after the feet have been cleansed of dirt, each hoof being lifted in turn, carefully picked with the steel hoof pie!;, each man carries in his pocket, with rubber and scraper as companions, the frog is washed with a sponge and water. The le-s are then rubbed vigorously for a few Minutes and bandages with rolls of cotton beneath them are applied. While the horses are munching their hay the men .•Did boys breakfast ill one part of he big dining room or kitchen reserved for each owner at the track, he trainer partaking of tin- morning meal alone in another portion of the building unless the owner r seme of his friends, or an acquaintance of the trainer should br on hand. Track Breakfast a Treat. It is a treat for an outsider to share in on" of these race track breakfasts. The cooks employed are generally negroes or Chinamen, and the laic is delicious, as a rule. Colored men are born bread and roll makers, and nothing could be more uniting than the table spread on such occasions. The coffee, rolls and bacon and eggs would seed no sharpening of he appetite to make th. m enjoyable, but witl the pure air of the morning acting as an aid to appetite the pleasures of the table arc cn-h. need. Breakfast over, the rations of the various horses are doted out by the trainer or head lad always by the former when the man knows his job thoroughly — and bestows the attention nam his charges which the responsible position demands. Some thorough -bnils are gluttons for food, just as sum.- are for work, end require larger rations than others, while still others have to be coaxed wit! dainties. Tie- man who understands the details of the trainers calling makes a study of the individual tastes of each and every horse in his Charge. It is for this reason that the best men in the profession not only allot the feed each horse is to have but see that it has all been cleaned up. making a tour of the stalls au hour or so after feeding time for that purpose. Another matter to which the capable trainer gives close attention is the condiiion of the wooden or zinc boxes in which the horses are fed. Some trainers do not have these cleaned regularly, but allow them to become sour and unappetizing. The up-to the-minute trainer sees that his feed boxes are scoured and scalded with boiling water every day and that there are no s.nir accretions of food in the corners to stale he appetite of a fastidious filly or a cranky gelding. The horses having been fed and watered the 1m- 1-dlag in each stall is shaken down, the bandages on the absolutely sound horses are removed and the feet and legs of those under suspicion are looked over, for eternal vigilance is the price of safety on the race course, as elsewhere. If any of the horses need plating, ami all of those that are to race that day must be freshly shod, the trainer now follows his hargcs to the smithy, if one be convenient, or, generally speaking, he goes to a particular stall in his own stable, where his own blacksmith, employed by the month, does the work. Importance of Expert Plating. The plate or shoe is an exceedingly light protection of steel or aluminum for the rim of the hoof. In cases where the horse is to race over a niud.lv or holding track, plates with rims and sometimes toes are worn. The blacksmith, or plater, as he is called by the profession, operates almost wholly under the direction of the trainer if tin- man is in the class that commands a yearly retainer of 0,000 and over, and there are not a few who belong there. The foot has to he trued, and for this purpose a small slab of marble is used, the cutting being continued until the hoof is perfectly level. All horses are not shod alike, and it is here again that the ■SUStef of his trade shows to advantage. Thoroughbreds havent as many faults of gait to be corrected as are found among their cousins of the trotting turf, but occasionally one is encountered that calls for all the terriers skill and the expert knowledge of the practical trainer combined. There are some trainers who want to see every nail driven, and it need scarcely he added that they are the men whose names are found at or near the top of the winning list each year. Not a few of the experts have graduated from the plating trade themselves, and they naturaily know nil the fine points of the trade. The horses having been galloped, rubbed down, fed, plated and thoroughly put away, to use a race track expression, the trainer makes his entries for the following day, and then 1ms a few hours to himself, or at his books, for most of them keep a record of every workout of each of the horses in their care. The importance of keeping a record is apparent. A horse may be receiving a special preparation for one of the big prizes of the turf. No man can afford to trust his memory for particulars of that horses work, sopsete Uy when perhaps there are a score or more other horses in the same mans charge. Hence the importance of keeping a record so that there shall be no mistakes, for one work too many or one too few might destroy the razor edge and dull the candidates speed. There are a few men 1 raining horses in America who can prepare a horse for a fixed event, and without giving him a public try-out in an actual race can tell within a fraction of a second how fast he should run on a certain day. This faculty is one of the features which distinguishes the master mind at the business. Other men have to race their horses into condition, and on the day of the big event the general public knows as much about the speed and stamina of the contestant as the owner. Engagements of Riders. Not the least of the trainers troubles, especially if the stable he trains for is the possessor of a fashionable jockey, is the making of engagements for the rider. Naturally the trainer is carefnl in the selection of the boys mounts, for he wants to have him ready to fulfill the engagements of the heme stable at all times, and horses of bad tem| er which would be liable to injure the jockey are shunned, as are some trainers and owners whose charges perform inconsistently. Some of the trainers refuse to have anything to do with the riding engagements of their jockeys, that work being entrusted to an agent, who as a rule pays the feed bills and employees und looks after some of the minor details about the stable. Work or play, as the occasion demands, brings the trainer up to luncheon time, after which meal he takes his field glasses and starts for the grandstand, leaving instructions with his head lad what horses are to be raced that day ami the time they are expected to 1m- in the paddock. At the course the trainer meets his friends and perhaps has half an hours conversation with his employer, whose business may have kept him away from the morning gallops for a week or more. If this is the case he has to report progess made by the horses, the condition of some horse which is perhaps being patntod for a big race or sometimes, when the owner is a heavy speculator for a coup in a selling or overnight race where the purse is often given to the jockey for winning it; sometimes the owner, who may be a close student of the turf, is consulted about the small races in which the horses are to be run, but as a general rule the trainer uses his own judgement about this, and the man who only pays the bills is only asked for advice when a stake program is issued. Another topic which may be discussed between the owner and his trainer on such occasions is the condition of the other horses in training, for these men who live at the courses and who often eke out their wages with an occasional wager must have their eyes constantly open if they are to succeed. Occasionally a friend on the outside with a liking for an oral wager gets some points on the days card, and Between this and gossiping with fellow trainers the time is passed till racing begins. Final Instructions to the Jockeys. It is the rule thct all horses must lie in the paddock at least half an hour before the race in which they are engaged, and the careful man never leaves the enclosure until he has whispered his final Instructions to the jockey and seen him safely in the saddle. Saddling the horse is never entrusted to any hands but his own. The pads are placed so that the points of the shoulders are protected from bruises, and the saddle, sometimes a combination of aluminum and leather ami weighing not much more than a pound, is strapped securely in place with double girths. After Hie saddle has keen fastened each of the horses forelegs is drawn forward in turn so that there may be no wrinkling of the tender skin in He- brisket, for it is only natural to suppose that the horse would stride with greater freedom if free from pain or chafing. His charge one- out upon the track ready for the contest, the trainer either secures a position in the stand where lie can watch every foot of the race, or goes into the infield, where he has greater freedom of action. It is an absolute impossibility for some men under stress of excitement to restrain their emotions, and it is men of this class as a rule, who vi"w the running of their horses from the field. They are generally accompanied bv a friend, and the antics of some of them in a hard fought flank are amusing. ..Iter the race, if it is not a selling affair, and his horse has not won. the trainer follows his charge to the paddock, where perhaps In- finds the owner alp-ally awaiting him. If victory has keen achieved then- is generally a handshake, a word of congratulation and the horses chances in some future event are discussed. The horse is being scraped and rubbed down, and the eager crowd, whose desire to be with the winner manifests itself plainly on the course or elsewhere, press forward and watch the animals toil. I. sometimes crowding so close hat they have to be warned that a race horses heels are steel shod. Horses Sensitive to Pain. It mar be remarked in passing that few race horses kick from wanton viei.iusucss when they are being groomed or done up. Their skin is extremely tender ami the fiequint rnhbhsg they receive has an irritating .fleet upon it. It is b ■cause they am being hurt thai they lash out and bite with apparent fury at the men who hold their heads during tl p. ration. •b the rubbing ceases the yes assume their tranquil gaze, the ears are erect and when the li-ht blankets are in place and the walking process to cool the fevered blood liegins, with a hunch of ■ lover or a wisp of sweet hay, to be nibbled from the attendants hand, they are models of lraetal.il-ity. It may happen that a horse has won a selling event, in which case it is the duty of the trainer to lepr.s, nt his employer at the auction which follows. If the horse is run up to a petal where he is coaal lend well sold he is let go. but if the amount offered does not represent what th- trainer thinks h- is worth he is bid in for the stable. It generally happens that there is no bid and the trainers presence at the stand is merely perfunctory. The racing for the day concluded, the trainer goes to his stable, where the horses are brought out for walking exercise, generally taking this recreation in a ring near the quarters. The best horse in the barn is usually in the lead, and as thev pass in their clean, cool white sheets with a smart lad at their heads, they make a handsome appearance. While they walk the trainer looks tkreugk their boxes to see that all is clean and regular, then the J 1 for the evening meal is allotted and placed in the stalls. The horses are tin 11 looked over and after half an hours walk they are returned to their stalls and the boys and men have their dinner, the trainers meal ketag again shared by some acquaintance, or if he is a marii.d man. by his wife or some other member of his family. After dinner, if the ll stall has a family and spends the nights at home, instructions are "given to the head lad and the days work for him is at an end. If he is a single man and lives at the stable, he reads the newspapers or a book, or ladalgcs in a game of cards with a caller or visits some of his fellows near by until nine oclock or so. when he turns into bed to dream that his pet two year old has just won a big prize. A healthy c.iUiug followed by a lot of clean, healthy men. New York Sun.
