SPORTING.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15486, 13 January 1916, Page 10

SPORTING.

: THE EAK TWITCH. TO THE -F.PITOT! OF •'•'THE riIESS." yir.'—VTe noticc in this morning's issue of "The- Press" that you have a report of a. rcceni meeting of tho Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: at which certain references were made to the patent ear twitch. of which wo are the so'e agents _a.nd manufacturers. As some of the statement? mad© at the meeting are quite incorrect and misleading, vre would l:ke to explain the working of fhe device. In the tiret place it ij not intended and cannot possibly increase the speed of horse. The device is or.iv intended to be used at the start of a race, where horses are often restless and refuse to strike a gait. By means cf a device the horso's ear is pressed between a pair of clips, which are manipulated by a wire controlled by the rider or driver. There is 110 necessity to cause the horse pain, and if pain were caused the. objects of the device would be defeafed. The closing of the clips, which do not have a sharp edge, and cannot cut the ear, mere.y takes the horse's attention and makes him strike a gait. It is absurd to think that a fractious hoi*e can be made quiet by causing him pain—the result would surely be quite the opposite. certainly admit, thai in tlie hands of a cruel driver the device could be used so as to carse lhe horse unnecessary pajn, but the same applies to spurs or to a whip. "We also would like to slate that the device has been thoroughly esa-mined by a leadin-r veterinary surgeon in Christ-church, and lie ha.s no hesitation in statins' that the device 'is in no way a cruel one; in fact, in his opinion it •is not a 6 cruel as the use of spurs.' The device was tried by a member of the Seciefy for th© Prevention of Cruelty to Anima'fl on a horse racing at the recent Canterbury Park 'Meeting, and although the horse's ear wa6 saueezed very tightly in the cliws. ' the hnrs? did not even turn his head.

The'invention is a local one. and •we are not aware of the device having been tried in America. —Yours, etc., - BEATOX and ULLRICH. Chi".stchurch, January 12th. TO THE EDITOR OF ''THE TRESS." Sir, —As the inventor and patentee of the Iron Hand H.crsc Controller, which ca.me under the eagle eye of the inspector of the S.P.C.A. at la-st Canterbury Park T.C. Meeting. an:t us serious damage may result /rotn vour report of last night's discussion thereon, I wish to dcf?nd the use of this'invention J)efore any further action is taken in the matter. In the first place' it is not- an American invention, as stated, as I am Xew Zeaflnnd born and bred. The apparatus w.i.a devised by me aft-?r eight years' constant training-of trotting horses. the first device of this kind was protected by me in 1906. and improved o:i and patented last year. The sole reason for the need of this apparatus is that many horse* are poesesseid of vices that makes it necessary use some means to control them while racing. The action of this controller is. that an animal with vicious habits may be controlled and become valuable by its use. In regard to fhe operation of this controller being cruel, I would point out that it is mipcsaible for the strongest man to injure or break the skin of the ear by its use. .it being designed to give only such pressure on the cir that will attract the animal's attention, and thus lessen the danger of Occidents which so often occur at the start of rac-s by vicioiu horses becoming uncontrollable. I do not claim that my invention* is a speed, accelerator (us slated by the inspector), such as , the lawful whip, which 'eaves .-jreals, pv the spur, that draws blood, and wjiich arc both permitted by the S.P.C.A, Sinop. this invention has b»en. in *•?!»•' (November. 6th, 1915) four notod unreliable , poises •, jinrc been induced to go its u ; «e, and thus win their j*specr«9»s besides numerous other cases of improved belli'viour.in an'mals wearing this device. . Thanking' you in anticipation,— Tours, f tc., S. .T. GALLACHER. 73 'Test be't, January 12th, 1916. . notes: . Nominations- for the Xclson .Trotting Club's Annual Meeting close- this eveuing. \ Acceptances for the "Wellington Racing Club's Summer Meeting are due tomorrow evening. Mr "W. G. Stead, Vhosc team had a very successful time" nt thp recent fixture at Ellcrsjic, has contributed £1000 to the Patriotic Funds. . In deference to the wishes of the Defencc sauthorities, no intoxicating liquors will be obtainable at the coming Meeting at Trentham. The successful members of Mr W. G. Stead's Ellerslie team, Gold, Painting, Sasanof, and Eligible, are not likely to be seen out at tlie 'Wellington Racing Club's Meeting at Trentham next week. Guiding "Way. the sturdy son of Fonicnoy, who was backed to will, the New Zealand Cuj> of a season ago, has been placed under J, Williamson's care at Ellerslie. Till recently E. J. itae was responsible for his preparation. There was a dead heat between three horses, viz., Mandina, Graveina, and Aberdonia, in the Muswellbrook Handicap, at] Muswellbrook (N.S.W-.) on Dccembcr' 2i'nd. Mandini won in the riui-off. "While taking part in the Grandstand Handicap at •Ellcrsiie on the concluding day of'the A.R.C. Summer Meeting, Jack D-claval'was.so badly galloped on that doubts are expressed as to his cvef racing 'again? The Sea ton Delava] — Miss Jack gelding has been a really good pel-former despite unsoundness, and in the 1913-14 season he won upwards of'£2ooo in stakes. , • Mr J. F. Buchanan's stallion Martian, who established a dominion record last season was represented by numerous winners during the holiday fixtures, ar.cl though a number of Haitian's stock w;on money amounting to nearly £3000—among the number being Adjutant, Dorian, Martian Maid, Fender, Immer, Linden, Snub Ardenvhor, Byron, Morsa, Martuk, Martius, Mcnclaus. Pyjama, Marsinah, Princess Montoa. Sasanof, Tokarahi, and Vestalis —it is doubtful if the son of Martagon and Otterden will experience such a great season as he did last year when he had horses of the class of Reputation and Wars'tep to represent him. - At the Christmas and New Year holiday period last season the get of Martian carried off the Great Northern Derby, the" Auckland Cup, Abckland Plate, and Marton and Invercargill Cups, besides numerous other events. s From J. "Bryce's remarks in returning thanks at Auckland for .Mr John Howe's little speech ' about Country Belle's record performances, it might bo thought that Country Belle's connexions had challenged the Our Thorpe people -for a match over two miles. Referring to Country Belle, Bryce said: —"Some people' said she was lucky to win the New Zealand Cup, but befrirc lie came north he had offered to .find £100, and friends another £100, to back her against anything in Australasia. She had that day proved just what, she could do." As a matter of fact. Mr Fleming- has not heard a word about any suggestion for a match, but he is_ quite prepared to race • his horse against Country Belle .over two miles for £1000, or more, and if challenged will at once cover Bryce's deposit. As tho two cracks have met on the Metropolitan and 2sew Brighton courses, the match might be run on the Canterbury Park course .if the parties could not agree to race at Addington, which would really seem to be the right place for such an encounter. The only suggestion made by Mr_ Floming' is that the editor of the ,: New Zealand Referee" should be stakeholder when a challenge has been issued by Country Belle's party. A deposit made and covered, it will bo time enough to frame conditions, but one of these should be that the whole of the gate receipts shall be .devoted to the Canterbury Patriotic Fund.