FIXING THEIR MOLARS

NZ Truth, Issue 1180, 12 July 1928, Page 13

FIXING THEIR MOLARS

And the Man Who Put the "Rasp" Into Raspberry "N.Z. Truth" has tracked down the man whoputihe "rasp" into raspberry.

HE is Arthur Vincent, but »very few know him by that name. To the world at. \arge he is commonly hailed as "Carbine Jack." Now, whai "Carbine" knows about 'rasps, would fill a crate. ■ For he is a specialist m diving into horses' mouths with p, rasp and filing down teeth. The average racegoer has no idea of the many little, but necessary, duties that have to be showered on a. galloper to gel him fit. . i , t . y : >;' ; As with mankind, a horse with' a bad set of molars cannot do justice to him-self—-and that means to those who support him. , • That's where "Carbine" comes m, and watching him at work is a real education. ■.'.■'". - ! . To a' stable he proceeds with a kit of tools that would pass by as . a swaggle's bluey. A look into a horse's .mouth and a quick decision. "A' couple to come out," may be his comment; then it may happen that he remarks: "Two 'pegs' to cut off." . • ; . ' .Out they come, or off they are cut, as the case may be, and "Truth" is certain that if dentists' patients were as easy to handle as horses, dentists would have little to worry about. Of course, the recalcitrant animal "Js met, but the application of the twitch is very effective. And the good work goes on. ■'-'',-.'..:' . . ■ There are a few that cannot be dealt ■ with m this mariner. There is only one alternative left then>— put; the gear on them and throw the.m. ; Two that came under, this head-

ing recently 'were' Miss Ransom and ' • Raganelli. „ „ " But the 'average horse -soon allots ' the operator to go -ahead when^ it ' •senses that he is- not afraid of it and that he is not going to Hurt it. Vincent has an uncanny knack of quietening and reassuring a horse that all is well, and "Truth" has seen a horste, which, two minutes before, was trtylng to climb out of his box,, eating : out of. "Carbines. hand. • ■.;•■"" 7. :-v ■ Without actually seeing, it is hard to visualize the state a horse's mouth can get. in through inattention to his molars. - , ' ■ „ : There will be found holes inside the cheek that a finger can be sunk into. These are brought about by jagged ends and a horse is prevented from eating. '" \ ■:'■.'. And the horse that does not ' "clean up" is the bane of a trainer's life. ■■■■■■;■: With the "peg" cut otf and the rasp • run round, the molar. is brought down to an evenness: that must make a horse think he has been re-born. • The total number of horses' mouths "Carbine" gazes into every year would be hard, to say, but the big number that he does deal with would, if they — could talk, tell him they are -much : obliged. llt has not, yet been decided : whether v Gright Glof is to 'be taken to Sydney for the -spring meetings or no^. She has got , her: full ' share of weight, tout if she makes the "trip- and starts fit and well, she will give a good account of herself. ■