Racehorse Trainers
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By J. D. Mai ntock ROAD
TRANSPORT
Thoroughbreds are Keen Travellers by Road, and Trainers Appreciate the Value of Specialized
Transport'
DOWN Lambourn way I found them '-rejoicing in the knowledge.
• that the State is to keep its hands off racehorse transport. • Training men and owners know what-if means to have service frdin trusted specialists, and they know the valtio'of speed and prompti•tude. Theylieve learritto depend upon servants like the Lambourn Racehorse Transport Service, Ltd.
That company's two streamlined rearengined horseboxes, produced in 1937, were, I noticed, still in service. "They have done very well indeed," said Mr. Frank Thatcher, manager Of the company, "and we are still giying them plenty of work, but there is something new on the stocks."
Low-loaders These two low-loading two-horse boxes were designed and built to the order of Sir Hugh Nugent by Messrs. Lambourn Garages, as described in "The Commercial Motor" dated June 4, 1937, and they embodied standard Fordson components. Replicas were also put on the market by that firm, who carry out all service work for Lambourn Racehorse Transport Service, Ltd.
Other boxes to be seen were Fordsons, of which there are five, Comrners fsix), Redford& (two), and a Reo. Three of the Commers • are brand-new Commandos. All boxes are made by Messrs. Lambourn Garages, who also construct normal bodies of all types and are Commer agents.
While we were getting out one of the rear-engined vehicles for photographing in the market square, there arrived a 1938 Commer box which had taken to London, not a racehorse, but a Lancia car for the Lambourn Garages.
During the war, Mr. A. F. Gill, the driver, did great work for de Havillands with this Commer, which was a stripped three-horse box. Carrying aircraft parts, he ,covered something like 47,000 miles between January, 1942, and August, 1943. The Commer was spared only for greasing and scant servicing once a month, and it never, gave a moment's trouble.
A horsebox, as Mr, Thatcher says, is a most useful and adaptable vehicle. It can readily be stripped and the ramps make loading and unloading easy. A car, for example, can be pushed or driven straight in and out.
I noticed, while we were taking photographs, that the rear-engined vehicle's box seemed to have worn well, "We make them kick-proof." said Mr: Thatcher. Apparently some horses do their best to kick the sides down, too. The grooms' compartment looked neatand comfortable, and was in excellent condition.
We went back to look at the servicing side—from the point of view of Messrs.
Lambourn Garages, The work,shops abut on to the main garage, and ai most of the transport was available, the opportunity was being taken to get extra work done. This was in spite of the fact that electric heaters were not functioning because of fuel cuts, but the rnaintenanee.ttaff seemed happy, and -cakebraziers were blazing here and there.
Normally the heaters project hot air and the shops are kept at a good working temperature.
The present staff numbers about 65. During the war it was reduced to 10 drivers and 12 maintenance men. On the servicing premises are dismantling and assembly bays, body shops, sawmill, welding shop, blacksmith's shop, and well-stocked stores.
The body shop is to be enlarged to three times its size as soon as practicable. At present it is a little cramped for the amount of bodybuilding carried out. Bodies of different types were being constructed on three new Bedford and Austin chassis, Foreman of the bodybuilding department is Mr. Burnell, who laments a shortage of skilled bodybuilders.
Inspection Lighting
An interesting point about the main workshops is the use of the Kelvin system of inspection lights. Lamps hang on tong conduits from roof-level wires, and can be moved about at will. Current is brought down to 12 volts.
Mr. Thatcher and I returned to his office to chat about the operating side. We discussed mileages. He said that the older of the two rear-engined boxes had done 220,000 miles and the younger 180,000. These had never carried any
thing but horses. Their unladen weight was 31. tons each and the loading height at the top of the ramp only 18 ins.
Several other vehicles had recorded mileages approaching the quarter-million mark. Of the 16 vehicles, eight had covered more than 170,000 miles. These were 1937 and 1938 models.
I asked about the war. The horsebox fleet, which had totalled 21 in 1939, came down to an effective four by 1940, I was told. Most vehicles were stripped. so that they could be used for large, bulky loads, mainly by Ordnance Depots. Some were used for transporting prisoners of war.
Since the war ended, the present strength of 16 has been reached by dribs and drabs. The pre-war fleet had provided a capacity for 48 horses; now the figure is 41. Many vehicles wore con verted after war work had ended, but some second-hand vehicles were bought and rebuilt. Reinforcements to the fleet are expected within a fairly short time.
Most work is picked up within a radius of 15 miles of Lambourn, and journeys are made to racecourses all over the country, as trainers demand. Something like 60 trainers are served, probably with 10 to 12 horses each, on the average—and that figure does not include hunters. Pedigree cattle are often carried, too. I was told that no meeting has ever been missed through breakdown, lateness, or unreliability.
The Horses Look Forward "Our vehicles can beat the trains, even a..; far as Liverpool," said Mr. Thatcher. I should imagine the horses much prefer to travel by road, too. In the er.se of all Lambourn horseboxes, they Ira. el face forwards. Advantages are better load distribution, greater comfort both for horses and grooms, better ventilation, and a good psyeholo
gieal effect on the animals. They like to look where they are going, rather than where they nave been, I am told.
In the case of modern vehicles, there is little engine vibration, but an amusing tale was told to me about an earlier type which vibrated hideously. It is said that whenever this vehicle reached an extra-good pace on the way to a meeting, the vibration was such
Other notable features of the Lam-‘ bourn horseb,xes include automatic111
as to have a most extraordinary effect on the animals. They always ran like Derby winners.
ventilation, forward compartments for grooms, rear luggage space, rubber upholstery, Lambourn Garages' patent ramp control, and absence of rear overhang. Centre partitions are easily re• moved to permit other uses for the A vehicles. Interior lighting is incorporated, and Clayton heaters.
My informant on the interesting subject of dr:vers employed in this specialized form of transport was Mr. Sid n30 '(" Professor ") Praeter, who is head driver and well known in racing circles. I asked him whether drivers had to know about horses as well as Machines. He said that, strictly speaking, they need not, but most of . them did. Mr. Thatcher chipped in to say that Sid had been brought up With horses, equally with driving.
But there is a lot in the driving," said Sid. "Cornering, for instance. You have to be careful not to unbalance a horse. You get to know just how far you can go. And in starting off from a standstill there mustn't be any jerk."
Preventing Injured Feelings
We discussed the equally important subject of braking, which obviously must be carefully controlled whenever possible. It brought to mind something interesting I had read about this " facing-forward " business,
Apparently, if the horse faces backwards and there is any sudden braking, it may find itself sitting down sharply on its quarters, which upsets it considerably. It may develop a horsebox complex, and even sweat the moment it enters one. If it faces forward, however, and there is sudden braking, it brings into play the well-known equine ability to cease all forward motion in a flash, and thus preserves both. balance and dignity:
Sid, who obviously loved his job, told me a good tale or two. There was the time when he acquired his nickname, "The Professor." He and a groom or two were having a great struggle to persuade a lively yearling into one of the boxes. The owner, who was a choleric individual, had been blustering and shouting at them.
Sid quietly asked him to go away for a little and leave the job to them, as they knew what they were doing. The owner said: "I suppose you think you're a ruddy professor," but, nevertheless.
departed. The colt was then loaded without difficulty.
A Horse-sense Exit
"Do you normally get much trouble with the animals? "I asked. "Welt, not often," said Sid, "but we had a funny thing once. We got a horse into the stall all right, then we saw it walk out through the driver's door!" The animal had somehow climbed over into the grooms' compartment, stepped neatly on to the driver's seat, and squeezed through the open door. It caused no damage to the vehicle and only scratched its own nose, Another memorable incident was when a short-sighted old countrywoman stopped one of the Lambourn horseboxes on a by-road. She imagined it was the local bus, which was, in fact, just about due at that time. The lads were not unaccustomed to this mistake being made, so they said: "Hop in."
She started to board the vehicle. still imagining it was a bus, and one of the grooms helped her into the cab. Then she suddenly found herself looking at close quarters into the face of a racehorse, and what an upset there. was for a momentle She almost collapsed with sheer terror, but eventually The men calmed her, and aff went the rather remarkable "bus'