Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-01-06
NORNE RIkNLNN
The Demand for "AIt-ronnd" Horses
Of General UftiIity.

Of General Unity.
SOME IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS FROM coz
NEnsA1iuN WITH VETERAN GOVERNMENT
STOCK INSPECTOR.
From the ST. Louis e.Democratl
The question of obtaining cavalry horses is
evidently becoming "a subject of very con
siderable moment to the national govern
mcnt, as the Quortermaster General has
written 10 Mai VIM. Chambers, Uncle
Sans venerable stock Inspector for full
report ON the quality Of the horses that are
now purchased for the service, and any sug.
gcstions which would be valuable for the
government to adopt that it may be provid-
ed with II good class of cavalry horses.
There is no man in the government service
or out of it vho is so able to speak intelli-
gently ON this subject as Mai Chambers,
for he has been in the government employ
over thirty years, aud his chief duty during
that long period has been the inspection of
horses and mules From his extended OBJ
servatons he has not only become expert in
detecting the good or bad points of an ami
nal at sight but having watched the de
introduced into the country during his time,
and noted the changes that the infusion of
foreign blood has caused in the character
of American horses, the Major is thorough
ly competent to make "A truthful comparison
between the cavalry horse of today and
those which the troops rode in support of
Sherman's bummers on their march to the
sea.
"Ah Z" said the Major, I'VE could not get
such lot of horses together now in six
months time. They are not to be had
The country is not producing that kind of
stock now. Before the war and for years
after farmers used to breed general utility
horses, good for the saddle, the pillow, or the
carriage lively trotters, too, that could
pail "A good load of corn out of mud holes.
Those were the kind of horses, but the
stock is about run ont.
THE MoRGANs FROM VERMONT.
There We're "A great many Morgans
among them, but don't believe that there
is Morgan horse west of the Mississippi
today. There may be some in Vermont.
That state is the home of the Morgan horse
The breed acquired its name from Justin
Morgan, the owner of Vermont stallion
that proved to be superior horse, and
from that animal the stock originated. The
farmers used 10 cross the Morgans with
Black Hawk stock, and the result was "A
splendid all round horse of medium size
That stock could not be beat for cavalry
purposes. The cross with common mares
was about right to obtain the best kind of
hardy. compact close built horses of about
10 hands high. A great point in that class
of horses was their intelligence they were
tractahle, quick Of movement, seeming to
comprehend what Il man wanted, and were
readily trained for anything. Horse sense
Is as good Il thing in IA horses head as in n
mans skull, but the horses do not seem to
nave as much brains now as they used TO-
Up To five years ago there was no trouble in
getting all the cavalry horses needed ON
this market
THE SUPPLY RUN OUT.
No. chimcd in Joel Thomas, "a sub-con-
tractor, who is now furnishing the army
with 100 cavalry horses II used to come
here and buy fifty head day for the cav
airy service, and now think | am doing
remarkably well if pick up car load a
week that Will pp>s inspection. The horses
buy are to be inspected at Fort Scott or
Lcavenworth. and the time was when IA
man could buy 100 head of frst-cla,s cav
plry horses within radius of seventy five
miles of Kansas City inside week, but
now it Is very different. There are more
horses in that region than there ever were
before, but they are not the right build
they are too big and awkward and they are
not built to carry "a man in "A saddle. Dur
my the past two months | have visited all
tine little towns around Kansas City in Mis-
souri, and Kuusa, within a circuit of $50 |
miles. and when | got place where ten or
a dozen horses were waiting for a purchas-
er there was not more than one or two out |
OF the lot chat would meet the requirements.
| found 1t very expensive getting enough |
horses together to ill my contract, so |
gave up the idea of finding them in country |
towns. and have come here to St Louis |
whore plenty of horses are to be found.
ONLY GOOD FOR DRAWS.
Yes, resumed Maj. Chambers 1t is
Just as Mr.. Thomas says; there are more
horses III the country than ever before but
they are not the right kind The stock we
want has run out. There has been too
much imported draft blood infused into the
native stock during the past five years The
cross Of native mares with stations weigh
ing from 1000 to 20O0 pounds has been too
sharp, and the result is u class Of lubberlv
horses with nothing to characterize them
hut great hg heads and broad feet The
results WHulu pruhdOlN not have been 50
bal had the mares been larger, but their
average weight is only from 500 10 1000
and the Indifferent nondescript colts is due
solely to the poudcrous sires and compare
lively small dams. | have long since been
aware that It required fully six months to ,
acclimatize a cavalry horse and fit him
properly for frontier service. Experience
has proved beyond doubt that the govern
ment gets no use OF its cavalry horses I'M :
der SIX months. And that fact induced me
to recommend to the Quartermaster- G en-
eral "A new system of providing cavalry
horses The government has reservation
Of 10000 acres of land near Fort Reno. in
one of the finest corn and grass producing
in the world. There is a cavalry {
school already established there, and it is
my idea that the government would save
money and secure an excellent class of cav {
airy horses 10y purchasing colts at or .
Years. old and placing them ON this reserva-
non. where the cavalrymen can attend to
hem properly and gradually break the
'oung stock to ride. They can he trained
here, too for the service. A horse is very
much like IA man lie must be trained, and
he place to do that is at the cavalry school.
have abandoned the idea of the govern
nent engaging in horse breeding
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