SECRET OF THE ARAB BETTER IN OLD DAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 12, 13 July 1935, Page 23

SECRET OF THE ARAB

BETTER IN OLD DAYS

MEASUREMENT OF HORSES

The secret, of the Arab remount buyers of Cairo for the measurement uf horses which they desire for staying a'distance is interestingly told by Sir Thomas Wilford, late High Commissioner for the Dominion, in one of his recent articles in the London "Sporting Life."

It was in 1912 that I ascertained in Egypt the. method employed by the Arabs in discovering whether or not a horse would'stay-(writes Sir Thomas). These Arab buyers selected, say, a hundred mounts and bought them,: first of all, because of their conformation and general appearance, but always subject to a.measurement method by which they ascertained whether the animals purchased were stayers or sprinters,-for a sprinter was of little use. as. a remount.. . • . • Since that date I have measured scores of thoroughbreds in New Zealand and Australia, and I believe that the measurement system for balance is a most important method of ascertaining whether the horse in question will, all other things being equal as to heart and feet, be. able to, sprint or stay. In all my experience I. have found two horses only—Fred Power and Johnny Walker—who came up to the Arab requirements of perfect balance, but I have ascertained by experience that those who come within. one and three-quarters, and even two inches, of the perfect measurement can get a mile, a mile and a half, or even two miles. Those who show in the measurement a difference of four or five inches should never be trained for a greater distance than six furlongs. METHOD EXPLAINED. The method of measurement used by the Arab horse buyer is simplicity itself. Let me now, explain the system or method. Take a piece of string, eight to ten feet in length; then stand off the horse on the near side, at a distance of three or four yards, and mark with the eye

and, then with the finger the highest point on the wither of the animal. It is all important that this highest'point should be accurately ascertained. In order to confirm the decision arrived at, get an assistant to stand at the same distance on-the off* side, and until you have agreed, don't start to use the string,

> Having agreed as to the highest point, then .place a finger on that point and put under the finger the end of the string, holding it firmly. Next, let the string lie along the mane and through the ears and down, the centre of the forehead, and make your measurement from the highest point-I,refer-red to down to ; the top lip where it touches the bottom "lip. Having ascertained , this measurement, then cut the string, which, by its length; gives you the distance from the highest point of the'wither to the top lip. Keep the highest place of the wither from which you have measured definitely marked, or keep your finger firmly placed there, and then take the length of string,,and.run it from such point along the back to the end of the tail (I do not mean to the hair of the .tail,.but-the .end-of'the tail itself). Those are the only measurements required to find a balanced horse. If the highest1 point of the wither is exactly midway, then you have a per-fectly-balanced ■ horse, ■' and - a : horse which, .if it possesses a stout heart, will stay forever/ ' ' - -- ' HERFECTIQN VERY RARE. You will not find in any with the highest -point 6f:the: wither, the centre of measurement. I have found only two since 1912 that have come up to the .standard of the Arab, buyers, but I have. found many with less than two inches • difference, "and two inches1 can be allowed. With that difference, and no. more, you may have a genuine stayer,-but if the difference is four or five' inches,'then you must realise you have a sprinter, and d,on't nominate it for'events1 of- over'a mile, and never nominate it' for a seven-furlong race in a-decent'field. • ' ' , ■ ; His Majesty the King, with whom I have had the'honour of discussing ,mis measurement theory, was greatly interested, an,d at hi 3 request I have sent to his Majesty, a drawing that explains the method in detail. ' When the great Heroic was a two-year-old-in Australia, I was asked J}/ his owner to measure him,, with the view of getting' my opinion as to Whether he would stay the Melbourne Cup journeyof two miles. • ■ ■• I measured Heroic, and told thj> owner he might, get a mile and a half, but never two miles, and suggested that it would be wise, when he went to the stud, to use' him with mares of proved staying ancestry; and' then he would correct the "want" with the aid of the dam. Heroic was never a true stayer, but when he-was-put to. the; stud-he produced Hall Mark,'who won the Melbourne Cup of two miles and many other notable races. It has been an interesting study for, me during-my. five years in this country (i.e., England) to'see how well the French studs mate their sires and dams with, a view, to obtaining real stayers. I think few will 'deny . that, ,on the whole;, .the.-French, studmasler is at leasi the equal', if; not ahead, of his. English; competitor, in obtaining real stayers.

Few mehare in a l>etter position to make, comparisons between ancient and modern jumping champions than Randwick trainer'P. Nolan, a former contemporary of Tom • Corrigan, James ScSbie, arid other renowned' riders of the old school, says an Australian writer. He says jumping has deteriorated and .jumping riders are poor by comparison -with their predecessors. Nolan believes that the New Zealand Record Reign'was the best hurdler he has seen. He rates Jack Rice superior to any other,hurdler that- has raced in Australia,1 and hands ' the palm • for steeplechasing to the famous Redleap.

At a meeting of the New1 Zealand Trotting Association this week permission was granted to the Auckland trainer, F. J. Smith, to remain on his farm during the term of his suspension, to look alter young horses and other slock,.provided he did not handle any registered ' horses,