The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-07
CAVALRY SERVICE.
OF THE MERITS OF
/ GOVERNMENT HORSES.

uardships of the Service the West
ern PIains-seIectiOn of Gallant Steeds
for Uncle Sam-RigorOus Examination
The Last Test-GOod Memory.
I A few days ago a reporter engaged in
conversation with recruiting sergeant III
;he 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 i'll
which they are furnished to the govern
ment. Not long since 500 horses were pur-
chased in this city, st. Louis, Chicago and
other large mercantile centres for troops
In the four big western departments or
the Platte, Dakota, Missouri and Texas
In which divisions it is 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 YER
dure and forage, whereas the fact IS ChaC
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 ana
very little grass by the way. A general
scrutiny of the condemned army horses
would show that their retirement from
the service is due more to starvation than
anything else. Very often the trooper )
horse drops in the ranks from sheer eA-
baustion and others are so badly used up
that they never recover from the prlVa-
ton and fatigue, and are finally. con
demned for use in the field and shipped TO
~,
much better even than green horses LOT
drilling recruits"
PHYSICAL QUALIFICATIONS DEMANDED.
"What are the physical qualifications
demanded for the selection of horses Tor
the cavalry serviceY
"Weu, in the first place, none but geld
fngs are taken. The government does not
care for stations or mares. The animal
submitted for purchase should stahu
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 lOnglegged beast with
a badly-shaped head wouldn't pass mus
ter at all. Low withers is one of the most
essential points, because horse with hlgh
withers is liable to work the saddle for
ward and get sores; and once In that CON
dition he loses flesh and becomes worth
less. In addition to these speclhcatlons,
he must be absolutely free from contracted
hoofs, or he won't pass the inspection Oh
the board"
"In what manner are horses secureu loi
the cavalry serviceY
Generally by advertising. The partlc-
ular class of animals desired Is becoming
scarcer every day. This, L suppose, Is que
70 the fact that breeders are giving their
attention to the raising of draught horses
of the Perch heron, Norman and similar
stock. which are, of course, too SLOW Iol
cavalry purposes. 1t is a singular fac
that horse dealers, as rule, consider the
government legitimate prey for all sorts
of imposition For, instance, at the las
inspection, only eight out of sixty horses
offered were accepted HOsJlers trotteC
them out for inspection full OF conIueuct
that they could unload their employers
full stock of useless equlnes. some
the animals names and foretops "ef'
Matted and decorated with strips OF rec
flannel. Their tails were done up IN com
mon bagging of so bulgy shape as u
suGpest- the probability of their belni
about ten feet long OF course, those dec
orations had to come off to make sur
that the tails were all there, and that IN
names were of hair instead OF oakum
THE ewes of a horse under inspection az
closely examined
A RIGOROUS EXAMINATION.
"If he, in general outline, Is IeSeuuCu q
worthy of consideration at all, ne IS SUI
rnitted to q rigorous eXamination-whlc
takes up about quarter Of an hour-a
over him from his teeth to his fetlocks an
hooffs. Then the hOstler is directed I
walk the animal up and down the lengt
ofthe ward and afterwards TO run hlm q
fact as the beast can go. II his acJlon
aosv he is ordered tied in for the fin'
inspection. =;
1s7'he last test is a run up hill for a Oil
lance of 200 yards or so to see II ms VIII
ia good. No saddle Is used. Inc hostlt
simnIv mounts and trots to the startln
roin+ riding back as fast as a hDeral a
1Iicatiou of cowhide to his beast can carr
him If the horse passes this muster
10 nurcbased and led to the b!acksml'
shon to be branded HIS first decoraI'
Is hio, L 8. On the le.t Shout a. w =
he IL detailed 70 regiment ne - ",'' %,
again with the regimeutu brand anu " u
the brand Of his company on the i''l H
Eor ore perfect Identification he r''elE
an addtttorssi .i--.l IuE CO.. thr h'"l anu
then ready for -alia rf.se. f,--.--
sny osof4 painful shan suo branding "'
beast and fniuk he kaoVs 20! h'tH''
snoge Yatuflal himself TIN i1hlie %
cs.sys .l,.ruTy io "a i.H FrsIH hHi tt7 "rst
eHrfy Tahrve.s . ~ .'. E '.+ iF,' '-
yyi,sB tas tso3s ruW~a rf come H'n- p
s,-,atstilu rirr Huf ny IsH animate ."''
f5rrtbe ..t,ttn.ta fas#. H.3 # N
raasia1 Ia -alfft ir rHr trt N". +
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