MINORU'S YEAR 



and Joe Marsh, a great starter, and at present the 

 greatest wonder with a horse's mouth hving. Joseph 

 Marsh at one time was a professional rider under 

 National Hunt Rules, and has some very amusing 

 stories to tell of some of his experiences in the days 

 when crowds were apt to be very demonstrative over 

 any little incident which they thought to be " peculiar 

 business." Joe Marsh is to my idea the most Qapable 

 starter at present in this year of 1914 officiating. He 

 has several English meetings where his services are in 

 demand, and is believed in most thoroughly at Ostend. 

 They give him plenty of scope, for he can either give 

 the walk-up starts to the gate, or make the horses 

 stand still before the tapes just as he wishes. Further- 

 more, according to the Belgian regulations, in the 

 event of an unsatisfactory start he can bring the lot 

 back and send them off again. Joe Marsh is an 

 official to the tips of his fingers on racing days, but can 

 relax and be a private citizen on other occasions. But 

 he is a wizard at horse dentistry, and trainers in 

 England, France and Belgium know this well. His 

 hands are covered with scars as the result of what he 

 calls a little playful business on the part of his patients. 

 He never goes in for casting a horse, nor preventive 

 measures against what one may try to do with him. 

 The assumption must be that he hypnotises them, 

 for he trusts to his hands to do everything which is 

 necessary — an extraction, lancing or what not. Cer- 

 tainly before horse dentistry was properly understood 

 there must have been a great deal of imnecessary 

 suffering, and what is more, many great horses could 

 not have given their best running. Not only is it with 

 the horse's mouth that Joe Marsh has such winning 

 ways, but his extraordinary influence over a horse is 

 something uncanny. He happened once on New- 



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