The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-08-13
HORSES STARVED ON THE PLAINS
An Army Omcer Tells Some Secrets
Days and Days Without u Sign
of Verdure

An Army Omcer Tells Some Secrets
Days and Days Without Sign
of yerdure.
A few days ago Neto York Mail and
Eapress reporter engaged in conversa-
ton with recruiting sergeant in the
United States cavalry service, and in
the course of the chat the officer drift
ed 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 five
hundred horses were purchased in this
city, st. Louis, Chicago, and other
large mercantile centcrs for troops in
the four big western departments of
the Platte. Dakota, Missouri and Tex
as, in which divisions it is estimated
three-fourths of the army of our coun-
try is comprised.
"Most of our cavalry horses" said
the recruiting sergeant, "are lost on
the plains in the west. No one here
east can conceive the rigor of our west
6rn 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 day,
with no gram for their horses and very
little grass by the way. A general
scrutinity of the condemned army
horses would show that their retire
ment from the service is due more to
starvation than anything else. Very
often the troopers horse drops in the
ranks from sheer exhaustion, and 9TH
ers are so badly used up that they nev
cr recover from the privation and IA
tigue, and are finally condemned for
use in the field and shipped to recruit
ing stations, where they answer much
better even than green horses for drill
ing recruits"
"What are the physical qualifications
demanded in the selection of horses for
the cavalry service9"
"Well. in the first place. none but
geldings are taken. The government
does not care for stations OF mares.
| The animal submitted for purchase
should stand at least fifteen hands high
and weigh about nine hundred pounds.
He should be short in the back aud al
so short in the pastern joints. A long
legged beast with a badly-shapcd head
wouldn't pass muster at all. Low
withers is one of the most essential
points, because horse with high with
ers is liable to work the saddle forward
and get sores; and once in that condi-
ton he loses flesh and becomes worth
less. In addition to these specifications
he must be absolutely free from con-
tracted hoofs, or he won't pass the in
cpection of the board.
''ln what manner are horses secured
for the cavalry serviceP'
Generally by advertising. The par,
ticular class of animals desired is be-
coming scarcer every day This,
suppose, is due to the fact that breeders
are giving their attention to the raising
of draught horses of the Percheron
Norman, and similar stock, which are
of course, too slow for cavalry pur
poses. 1t is a singular fact that horse
dealers, as a rule, consider the govern
ment legimate prey for all sorts of i'm
position. For instance, at the last in
spection only eight out of sixty horses
offered were accepted. Hostlers trottet
them out for inspection full OF conf
dence that they could unload their en-
ployers' full stock of useless equines
Some of the animals names and fore
tops were plated and decorated will
strips of red flannel. Their tails wer
done up in common bagging of S,
bulgy a shape as to suggest tn
probability OF their being about tie,
feet long. OF course, these decoration
tails were all there and that the mane
were of hair instead of oakum. Th
eyes Of a horse under inspection ar
! closely examined. If he, in genera
: outline, is regarded as worthy of cor
: sideration at all, he is submitted to
! rigorous eNamination--which takes u
. about quarter of an hour-all owe
him, from his teeth to his fctlocks an
hoofs. Then the hostler is directed t
I. walk the animal up and down tn
8 length of the yard, and afterward
= run him as fast as the beast can go.
= his action is easy he is ordered tied il
> for the final inspection. The last tes
' is run uphill for distance of tw
. hundred yards or so, to see if his win
:, is good. No saddle is used. TIL
:, hostler simply mounts and trots to til
Il starting point, riding back as fast as
= liberal application Of cowhide TO h
:, beast can carry him. If the hors
:. passes this muster he is purchased an
:, led to the blacksmith shop to be bran'
= ed. His first decoration is a big U.
- on the left shoulder. When he is d
: tailed to a regiment he is burned aga
~ ~ with the regimental brand and with tt
:, brand of his company on the left hi
- - For more perfect identification he r
= cieves an additional marking on Il
4 hoof, and is then ready for bushes
= | know of nothing more painful tn;
:, the branding of a beast. and think
a knows of nothing more painful himse]
~ ~ The brands become obscure in n fe
% years and are necessarily renewed.
:. is peculiar fact that when the tin
- comes for renewing the operation Mi
W y. out of ten animals remember the prey
II Gus dose, and it is no easy matter to I
~ IL peat it.'
~, ~, He Plays Tune.
''If were running a dime museum