Through Horseboxes from Paris to England.
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A Special Motor Service for Transporting Racehorses.
Dissatisfied with the conditions under which his racehorses were carried from his training stables near Paris to the yaritms English rasecourses, M. Edmond • Blanc hrw instituted, for their benefit, a special motor service between England and France: When sent by rail, racehorses are often rendered nervous and are put out of condition to such an extent that they do no justice to their trainer. Especially was this found to be so if put into a race immediately after a journey from France to England. The new motor service consists of a series of Latil front-drive chassis to which a special form of hen se-box has been adapted: One chassis is kept in readiness at the training stations---Maisons-Laffite or Chantilly—and when the horse has been led into the van, the latter is raised by a crane and deposited on the chassis. In a few minutesit
is fastsAied down, and then it is quickly en route for Boulogne. On .arrival at this mut the driver takes his vehicle to the quay, and the van iS raised flosit the chassis and deposited on the desk of a steamer.
A similar Latil chassis is in waiting at Folkestone, the van is placed on it and fastened securely, and the journey is continued to the course on which the horse has to make its public appearance.
Thus from the time the horse leaves the French training ground until its arrival on the English tuil, it is not taken out of its box. The actual journey, too, occupies slightly less time than by rail. Everything possible is done for the comfort of the horse. The van is suitably padded, and in the fore portion there is a compartmentfor the trainer, who is also in communication with the driver. The vehicle is mounted on twin pneumatic tires front and rear. With. the front-drive system. there is no mechanism, of course, to the rear of the front axle, thus there is an entire .absenee of noise within the van, which might distress the horse.