WEIGHT ON TROTTERS

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 50

WEIGHT ON TROTTERS

If one can judge by frequent observations mad© afc trotting meetings or at race meetings where trotting races find a place on the programme, the qiiestion of the weight carried by a trotter in races has never been seriously studied in this colony by the rank and file of owners. It is a common eight to see riders who tip the beam afc 13.14, or 15 stone, weighing out to ride a horse, and at the same time to unmistakably remonstrate that weight is an unconsidered trifle, although going to scale at body weight of two or more stone over- weight they . not infrequently use a 281b saddle. The old-fashioned gear, which was deemed good business 10 years ago, is still used by many of our out-of-date sports, and even when Fritz went against Ribbonwood he wore beil-boots which strongly reminded the writer of the "pads" which a horse wears when used for cutting the grass on a cricket ground. On the other hand, Ribbonwood wore neat and close-fitting quarter boots, which _ fitted like a glove, and did not weigh more than a couple of ounces. Then again the balancing of a sulky on a horse ie absolutely unheeded, and the shafts ars placed at an angle that makes the weight of the vehicle a sheer drag on the horse uaing it. When the shafts are ttlaosd "1-ovs" $hs driver's flight is UK*

necessarily supported and carried by the horse, but when the point of the shaft is on a line with the animal's jowl, or thereabouts, according to the carriage of a horse's head and his formation, the sulky runs without any weight being placed on the horse's back, and practically without any exertion being required in pulling it. An idea of what is meant can be gleaned by a person upending a wheelbarrow or sulky. If jt is vi.vi ai the proper angle (to be arrived only by trying it according to its make and balance) it will be found to run along without any force or haulage being required — that is to say, if the points of the shafts of a sulky are placed high, the weight of the driver pushes the vehicle forward, and the pulling power required from the horse is reduced to a minimum. There is no doubt that many of our old-time performera, who did not have the benefit of protecting gear and boots, •would "have went to much better records than what they did without them; but there is an excellent reason for supposing that gearing in many places is overdone. America has to be exploited to find an illustration of the question in hand, and the following remarks from the pen of a vvriter in the American Horseman should" bo read with a great deal of interest : — How much a trotter is handicapped by weight is an ever fruitful subject of discussion. Recently there was a practical illustration of the question and it was clearly demonstrated that usless rigging is a detriment when extreme speed is desired. The term useless is used advisedly, for in referring to Grace Bond and the great number of boots she wore her owner admitted that she had never shown that sho required them, and ho had used them merely as a precautionary measure. If 51b will anchor the best runner on the thoroughbred turf, it is reasonable to suppose that weight must cut some figure with a trotter (says the writer alluded to above). In the latter case it is difficult to compute what effect weight has, for all trotters have to pull considerable, weight, at least 1501b, besides the sulky. Last winter it was suggested that all drivers be allowed to drive at "catch weights," whatever they happened to weigh, but this was not allowed. It was argued that the proposed rule would result in an era of boy drivers, for some horses, after being once balanced, could be driven to extreme speed by a youngster or a very delicate man, while, of course, on the other hand, some horses need a big, strong man in the sulky in order that they may do their best. Weight in the sulky was thus acknowledged to have some bearing on the question of speed. The thoroughbred carries his weight on his back and a few pounds there must make considerably more difference than doublo or treble its weight in the sulky. But in booting horses the question of weight appears to have been entirely overlooked by many trainers. If weight on the back counts against a horse's chances for success, weight on ths legs must be an even greater handicap. In the ease of the Futurity winner we have some data to go by. After the fourth heat Trainer Andrews removed the elbow boois, a pair of hind shin boots with scalpers and hock attachment and a patent breeching, all weighing just 51b. With this rigging 1 on Grace Bond had won the first two heats in 2.09 i and 2.09 i, and then was beaten in 2.11 - and 2.13. In the third and fourth heats she finished fourth and fifth. It is probable that Andrews eased her some in the fourth heat, but in the third she was driven to the top of her speed until inside the distance flag, when she went to a tired break. But with the useless boots removed there was a transformation in the fifth heat, for she won this and the race in 2.09§. Averaging- the time as well as may be, it is clear that this made at least a difference of two seconds, and considering that tho fifth heat would naturally be slower than the preceding one, it may not be out of bounds to say that there was a differen.ee of four seconds afc least. But in considering what effect weight has it is well to bear in mind that weight on the legs would have a more tiring effect than if placed on the back, and it should also be remembered that the boots have to be strapped on tight enough to keep them in place, and that would bind the muscles in a manner to ifi'e any horse. Still, allowing- for the -latter fact, the weight had several seconds' effect. There is yet another difficulty in arriving at a proper conclusion in thi« discussion, and that is that Grace Bond is a small-sized filly and weight would tell in her case more thai in one where the animal was of greater size. But whatever the difference of opinion may be as to the actual handicap of the weight in question, it 1 is plain to ail .trainers that the less boots and rigging a horse has to carry the faster he will be. able to go. There is no doubt but that many trainers have gone to an extreme in the use of boot, especially in cases where the horse does nob need them and they avo used only for rase of emergency. Better to go slow and find out the least possible amount o? rigging necessary than rush heedlessly along and handicap the horse by several seconds on race day.