Man O Wars Running Style: Photographs Show His Wonderful Stride, Averaging over Twenty-Five Feet, Daily Racing Form, 1920-11-07

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MAN 0 WARS RUNNING STYLE Photographs Show His Wonderful Stride, Averaging Over Twenty-Five Feet. Some excellent action photographs were taken of the Man o War-Sir Barton race and an eastern expert has analyzed one of them and declares that Man o War is not a horse which runs extended and close to the ground as many thoroughbred experts believe Is absolutely essential if the horse is to cover ground in fast time. In his racing, according to photographs, Man o; War has disproved this idea, for the photo shows him making a phenomenal bound, above the ground,, at the apex of one of his grat strides, the average length of which was said to be over 25 feet, while the maximum strides reached 28 feet. This critic says: "In this picture, the horses four feet being exceedingly close together, there is no denying that he has a high degree of natural collection. "And it would be impossible for hlin, or any other horse, to make a twenty-foot leap let alone a succession: of such leaps continued for a mile and a quarter : without being highly collected, whether naturally or artificially. "Another proof of his being collected is the height at which his head is carried, the lowest part of his chin being barely below a perpendicular drawn from his -withers forward. "The fact that his reins are loose while in this: posture proves also that he Is not weighing on his riders hands, and that he is, consequently, although running at such .excessive speed, as light of mouth as a well-trained high school horse in complete collection. Of course,, if he had been trained in high school and his natural collection had consequently been improved by art, it would have included the neck, which then might have been carried less .straight. "If his legs from below the knees and hocks are hidden by covering that part" of the picture I refer to and only the parts of his body and legs above that are shown, Man o War will appear to be performing the high school air called Pfaffer, instead of a racing gallop. "By contrasting Sir Bartons .attitude as he vainly chases Man o War, we see that, going low to the ground In approved racing style, this horse could not possibly execute the tremendous leaps which gave such an easy victory to his rival, which, moreover, apparently went about his business calmly, judging by his absolutely peaceful facial: expression in the photograph. "That Sir Barton did not collect as well nor to such a degr.ee as Man o War is proved by the: comparative lack of impetus of his off hind leg and by the low carriage of his head, his chin being far below the :line of his withers. In fact, a horizontal line drawn from his withers forward would pass just below ids eyes. "Comparing, then, the manner of going of these two horses we understand why Man o War could so easily win, and then wc see that the faculty .a horse has of collecting helps him develop speed and develop it without undue effort, consequently with but a minimum of fatigue."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1920110701/drf1920110701_2_2
Local Identifier: drf1920110701_2_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800