ROBERT BONNER ON SHOEING 



I cannot do, because, although he has preceded me 

 across the river which separates night from morn- 

 ing, the seal of confidence is still on my lips. And 

 yet I feel at liberty to make extracts from the hun- 

 dreds of letters in my possession. There was never 

 a more enthusiastic horseman than Robert Bonner, 

 and his heart was adamant when you sought to per- 

 suade him to deviate even a little from the policy 

 which he had mapped out in the beginning. He was 

 not the slave of Dogma, but he kept faith with the 

 Church, while indulging a fancy for speed in light 

 harness. He did not pull the Church down to the 

 level of tricksters, but took the horse of high form 

 and action and lifted it into an atmosphere respected 

 by the Church. To do this was no easy task. Perse- 

 verance, tact, and courage were necessary to success. 

 From the memoranda published by Mr. Bonner in 

 the spring of 1895 I extract: 



" In July, 1856, when I bought my first trotting 

 horse, there were only 19 horses, including the living 

 and the dead, that had trotted a mile in 2.30. Now 

 there are 10,539 ' m tne ^ st - ^ n tne summer of that 

 year, 1856, I came near breaking down from over- 

 work. My personal friend and family physician, 

 Doctor Samuel Hall, advised me to get a horse and 

 take an hour's exercise every morning in the open 

 air. He not only gave me the advice, but he actually 

 purchased the horse for me. So that if I have done 

 anything to stimulate the interest that nearly all 

 Americans take in the trotting horse, the credit is 

 due in no small degree to Dr. Hall. The increase, 



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