The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-07-28
HORSES STARVED ON THE PLAINS.
Days and Days without Sign OF
Xcrdurc.

Kcrdurc.
A few days ago reporter engaged in con.
versation with a recruiting sergeant in the
United States cavalry service, and in the
course of the chat the officer drifted into the
discussion of the merits of horses supplied
to the service and the manner in which they
are furnished to the government. Not long
since 500 horses We're purchased in New
York, st. Louis, Chicago and other large
mercantile centres for troops in the four big
Western departments of the Platte, Dakota,
Missouri and Texas, in which divisions it lie
estimated that three-fourths of the army OF
our country is comprised.
Most of our cavalry horses" said the
recruiting sergeant, are lost on the plains
in the West. No one here East can con-
ceive the rigor of our Western military
duties or the hardships they entail for the
soldiers and their beasts. We suppose that
the great West is teeming with verdure and
forage, whereas the fact is that in very
many tracts of country scouting parties are
compelled to ride for week or more, at the
rate of perhaps fifty miles a day, with no
grain for their horses and very little grass
by the way. A general scrutiny of the con-
demned army horses would show that theil
retirement from the service is due more to
starvation than anything else. Very often
the troopers horse drops in the ranks from
sheer exhaustion and others are so badly
used up that they never recover from the
privation and fatigue, and are finally con-
demned for use in the field and shipped to
recruiting stations, where they answer much
better even than green horses for drilling re-
cruits.n
What are the physical qualifications de-
manded in the selection of horses for the
cavalry service ?'
Well, in the first place, none but geld
ings, are taken. The government does not
care for stations or mares The animal
submitted for purchase should stand at least
fifteen hands high and weigh about 900
pounds. He should be short in the back
and also short in the pastern joints A
long-legged beast with badly-shaped head
wouldn't pass muster at all. Low withers
is one of the most essential points, because
horse with high withers is liable to work
the saddle forward and get sores and once
in that condition he loses flesh and becomes
worthless. In addition to these specifica
tons, he must be absolutely free from con.
tracted hoofs, or he won't pass the inspec.
ton of the board"
g In what manner are horses secured for
the cavalry service?"
" Generally by advertising. The partic,i-
lar class of animals desired is becoming
scarcer every day. This, suppose, is due
10 the fact that breeders are giving their at
tention to the raising of draught horses of
the Percheron, Norman and similar stock,
which are, of course, too slow for cavalry
purposes. 1t is a singular fact that hors,
dealers, las n rule, consider the government
legitimate prey for all sorts of imposition
For instance, at The last inspection, only
eight ont of sixty horses offered were ac-
cepted. Hostlers trotted them out for in
spection full of confidence that they could
unload their employers full stock of useless
equines. Some of the animals names and
foretops were plated and decorated with
up in common bagging of so bulgy shape
as to suggest the probability of their being
about ten feet long. OF course, those dec
orations had to come OF to make sure that
the tails were all there, and that the names
were of hair instead of oakum. The eyei
of a horse under inspection are closely ex
amined. If he, in general outline, is re-
garded as worthy of consideration at all, he
is submitted to a rigorous examination
which takes up about a quarter of an hour
all over him from his teeth to his fetlocks
and hoofs. Then the hostler is directed to
walk the animal up and down the length of
the yard and afterwards to run him as fast
as the beast can go. If his action is easy
he is orded tied in for the final inspec-
ton. The last test is run up hill for
distance of 200 yards or SO, to see if hit
wind is good No saddle is used. The
hostler simply mounts and trots to the start
ing point, riding back as fast as a liberal
application of cowhide to his beast can carry
him. If the horse passes this muster he is pur-
chased and sent to the blacksmith shop to be
branded His first decoration is big U. s.
on the left shoulder When he is detailed
to regiment he is burned again with the
regimental brand and with the brand of his
company on the left hip. For more perfect
Identification he receives an additional
marking ON the hoof and is then ready fol
business. / know of nothing more painful
than the branding of a beast, and think
he knows of nothing more painful himself.
The brands become obscure in few years
and are necessarily renewed. 1t is pecu-
liar fact that when the time comes for re-
newing the operation nine out of ten ami
mails remember the previous dose, and it il
no easy matter to repeat it."
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