UNRULY HORSES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 11, 14 July 1928, Page 23

UNRULY HORSES

. RACECOURSE UNDESIRABLES' '. ■■' ■■ .' „' ■i. ■■■ ■ ' ... ■ ; ; (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") ■,■■■ ■}-■ CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. ' The Conference Committee stated that the. rule regarding vicious and unruly Horses still requires to be more vigorously enforced by starters in this*country. It was, probably desirable that the walk up start should entirely supersede the flatfooted start.. ; The attention ;of the conference was agam directed to the necessity for more reliable weighing scales at race meetings. Very- nondescript scales were in use' by many clubs, and confusion and delay were frequently- caused by the want of proper and accurate- weighing facilities. ■ 'They considered that clubs having a false rail on their course should be requested to have it. removed and the old style reverted to, as from their observation, while it has benefited a few horses, a far-greater number had been hindered on account of,.the gap being closed'before they had been -able to get through, and many instances could be cited that had nearly'ended disastrously to both horse and rider. • /Hie chief racecourse inspector (Mr. A. Ward), iii the course of his report, stated .that their first duty was to keep all race and trotting courses clear of known bad characters and undesirables gener ally, and administer the \a.yt enacted for the purpose. A comparison could be made bet-ween the years preceding ■ 1021 and' the -present time; In former days, hundreds of individuals frequented racecourses and towns1 in which races were held. ■ They lived by the exercise of their wits, and were not engaged in any lawful occupation. ■ Offences were committed on the courses, and in the towns at places where> races -were held, the-local police were reinforced, as an influx of liourbbreakers, pickpockets, vagrants, and sneakthieves was always to be expected. These individuals; were, not so noticeable at the present, time!