Rules for Raising a Champion Trotting Horse
Leland Stanford's Palo Alto System Produced Record Holders
Nov 10, 2008
Even though Stanford had had his first world record holding trotter with Occident in Sacramento in 1873, at his Palo Alto operation he churned out record-setting trotters in almost unprecedented numbers. And it all started with the meticulous care and attention he gave his horses. Born on a farm in New York and always fond of horses, in his adulthood, the railroad magnate imbibed with gusto all information about improving horses.
He purchased land in Palo Alto in 1876 and moved his horses there in 1877 or 1878. Like all horsemen, he thought that good breeding and training made a champion. But unlike most, he thought that to produce a champion trotter you needed to begin training early in life. He paid special attention to what they ate, giving them ground and steamed grain. Weaning was at five months.
Training Young Horses
Two months later they were introduced to the halter. Most horsemen thought that trying to train a seven-month-old to be a trotter was ridiculous. But at seven months, Stanford's young animals were running on an oval track that was 315 feet long and about eight feet wide. During their run, their handler did not allow them to stop. Next they were introduced to the bridle and the harness. They trotted side-by-side with another trotter. This was all called kindergarten.
Next, trainers who followed the rules below started working with the horses:
- No jogging because that is a waste of energy and time.
- This developmental program is individualized. The overall condition of the horse determines the distance trotted and the intensity of the workout.
- The horse runs at full speed for short distances.
- Once speed is developed, the distance is gradually increased until the target distance is reached
- Do not overtrain the horse. A tired horse is not the goal.
Hires Charles Marvin
In 1878 Stanford hired trainer/driver Charles Marvin (1839-1907) . Marvin came to prominence in 1874 when his horse Smuggler beat several world-class trotters, including the great Goldsmith Maid. Smuggler was a pacer turned by Marvin into a trotter.
Marvin advanced to head the trotting department of the Palo Alto Stock Farm, as Stanford's operation was called, and to serve as its chief trainer too. In 1891 Stanford's horse operation held every world record for trotters aged one thru five. During Marvin's tenure, 19 world trotting records were set. He left following disputes with Stanford's brother-in-law Ariel Lathrop. Exactly when he left is in dispute, but in or about December 1891 is a possibility. Neither Marvin nor Stanford ever again had success equal to that of the glory years of the operation.
In 1890 Marvin published Training the Trotting Horse. He dedicated the book to Stanford, saying that his "genius, thought and enterprise" were the primary reasons for the realization of the system set forth in it. After the proven success of the Palo Alto system, it was adopted by some other trainers and is said to be the foundation for modern day development programs for trotters.
Sources:
Tutorow, Norman E. The Governor: The Life and Legacy of Leland Stanford, Vol. 1. Spokane: Arthur H.Clark Company. 2004.
Marvin, Russell A. "Charles Marvin, 1839-1907: A Legend of Harness Racing." 10 November 2008.
