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■""" •—■«•— — . a , ..,:"".!.. SIRES AND DAMS By Nelson Dunstan Yearling Inspections Are Here Again Height Versus Length Ratio of Horse Conformation Plays Part — But How Much? Foremost Authorities Differ on Action LEXINGTON, Ky., June 23. For the past week, this writer has been visiting farm after farm here in the Blue Grass, making his second inspection of yearlings who will be sold at Keeneland and Saratoga this year. It It always always surprises surprises us us how how these these colts colts and and ■""" , •—■«•— ..,:"".!.. — . a It It always always surprises surprises us us how how these these colts colts and and fillies improve during the months of May and June, and will continue to grow in the weeks ahead. Some appear to be much taller than they were two months ago, while others gain in width. Some people say, "All horses look alike," and the expression, "Horses come in all sizes, shapes and colors," has been heard around race tracks and breeding farms for generations. There are many points about horses that puzzle veteran breeders and one that is likely to make them hesitate is why some, Spartan Valor, for instance, stance, start start modestly modestly as as a a two-year-old, two-year-old, but but stance, start start modestly modestly as as a a two-year-old, two-year-old, but but later develop into a champion. No one can put their finger on the exact reason for the improvement as a horses courage, the manner in which he is developed by a trainer, his bloodlines, conformation and action all play a part. There are some men — such as the late Bob Smith of Cavalcade fame — who maintin that all horses are bred well enough, but wh" pay more attention to conformation than anything else. Smith once told this writer that when examining a yearling, he tried to visualize the youngster as he would be as a five-year-old. Probably the first thing that catches the eye when studying the conformation of a horse is the comparison of length to height. It is surprising how the make and shape of a horse differs at the time he is foaled and when he is full grown. At birth the body of a foal is short and the legs long. The former lengthens more rapidly than the latter, with the result that in the yearling, the average length exceeds the height. The colt or filly is often awkward shortly after birth, but a great change has come about by the time they are sent into the salesring as yearlings. There is probably no more beautiful animal in the world than a thoroughbred yearling, although many people maintain that he is more impressive physically as a two-year-old. When a yearling is taken from the sales-ring, and is not seen again until he appears on the race course as a two-year-old, it is quickly obvious that the legs and body have grown proportionately so the length is still slightly greater than the height. Some horses grow more at one period and some at another, but after about six months the difference between the two measurements do not change so markedly. As three-year-olds, the legs and withers of the majority of horses have grown more rapidly and the heighth is generally found to be slightly in excess of the length. During the four-year-old season, the body lengthens, but the legs have stopped, so the average- length is again slightly more than the height. As a five-year-old, the body continues to lengthen slightly. All the data contained here was given us by a breeder who has been measuring horses for nigh on to 40 years. During the past two months, there have been articles in the Thoroughbred Record and the Washington Horse on horses of speed and stamina and, more recently, J. A. Estes, the Kentucky breeding scribe, wrote one of the most interesting and searching articles we have ever read on the "height-length ratio" in horses. In regard to speed and stamina, it must be realized that the subject becomes complicated with the introduction of the width of the horse, the height at the withers and breadth across the stifles, which is the widest part of the hindquarters. We believe that it was Bill Winfrey, the Vanderbilt trainer, who, while showing a pair of two-year-olds recently, said: "This one is built as if he will develop into a sprinter, while that other one may become a stayer. But, you can never tell, it may turn out to be just the reverse." There are exceptions to all racing and breeding rules, but, generaUy speaking, the stayer is lighter and sparer in build. He is usually shorter in the body as compared to height and is higher in front than behind. Usually, he has higher withers than the sprinter. There are many points about the sprinter that the experienced eye of a breeder or racing man quickly detects. As a rule, the sprinter is of more muscular build than the stayer and the "quarter horse" is the best example we can offer. He has more powerful quarters and thighs and is wider than the stayer. He probably is longer in the body, as compared with his height, and shorter in the leg. If you are a boxing fan, it would be like comparing the short, heavy-set, barrel-chested, muscular Sam Langford with the long, lean and skinny Bob Fitzsimmons. Then there are horses, and we have seen many of them, whose build defies their classification as a sprinter or a stayer. They may have some of the qualities of both. Ariel was a true sprinting type, while Pilaster was a horse who loved to race a mile and a half, and more so two miles and a half. There will be considerable written about yearlings and their conformation in the weeks to come. Big one, little ones, skinny and fat ones, some of them, we must add, fattenened purposely. Last fall, Ira Drymon, Kentucky breeder, made the statement that the majority of owners and breeders like fat market yearlings, and he spoke the truth. Writing about the conformation of any horse, regardless of age, there is no sure index, and personal fancy enters into the picture. The foremost authorities differ and exactly what proportion of a horses class or quality is due to conformation is impossible to determine. As for the action of a horse, horsemen do not see alike any more than others do on make and shape. This writer has seen many impressive yearlings on his two trips down here this season. But only the race course will tell definitely whether they are to fulfill the promise of their pedigree, conformation and action. There will be many yearlings like Man o War, who was a light-bodied, leggy youngster, but who grew into one of the finest specimens of a thoroughbred this writer has ever seen. Then, there are others, short and muscular, of the sprinter type, and still others, like Sun Beau, the worlds money-winning champion of another day. He was longer than he was high, as opposed to Man o War, who was tall in comparison witih his length. We go right back where we started and that is to say, "They come in all sizes, shapes and colors."
