Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-01-19
CAVALRY HORSES.
Demand OF Growing Importance That
Mnat SOON 80 snpplled.

AFfFaNHh 0NNNA hNNNnNs NH hhN NNHfAfNA
master. General has writtcn TO MajJr
VIM. Chambers. Uncle Sans vencra-
bic stock inspector. for full report on
tho quality OF tho horses that are now
purchased for tho service, and any
suggestions which would be valuable
for tho Government TO adop, that IL
may be provided with good class Of
cavalry horses
There Is no man IN the Government
service or out Of II who Is so ab'o TO
speak intclligently on this subject rs
Majrt Chambers for he has bccn in
the Government employ over thirty
years, and his chief duty during that
long period has been tho inspection
Of horses and mules. From his ex-
tended observations he has not only
become expert in detecting tho good
or bad points Of an animal at sight
but having watched tho development
Of various breeds that have been in
troduccd into the country during his
time aud noted the changes that tho
infusion Of foreign blood has caused
in the character of American horses,
the Major is thoroughly competent to
make a truthful comparison between
the cavalry horse OF to-day and those
which the troops rud5 in support Of
Sherman's bummcrs on their march
to the sea.
"Ahl said tho Major. "wo could
not get such lot of horses together
now In six months time They are
not 10 be had. Tho country Is not
producing that kind of stock now.
Before the war aud for years after
farmers used TO breed general utility
horses, good for the saddle. the plow
or the carriage; lively trotters, too.
that could pull n good load of corn out
of holes. Those were the kind OF
horses, but the stock is about run out.
There were n great many Morgans
among thcm. but don't believe that
there is n Morgan horse west of the
Mississippi to-day. There may be some
in Vermont That S,atc is tho home of
the Morgan horse. Tho breed ac-
quircd its name from Justin Nor
gan, the owner Of Vermont
stallion that proved to bo n SUI.
pcrior horse, and from that animal
the stock originated. Tho farmers
used TO cross the Morgans with Black
Hawk stock. and the result was
splendid all-round horse of medium
lie. That stock could not be beat for
cavalry purposes. The cross was just
about right 10 obtain the best kind of
hardy. compact, close built horses Il
about fifteen hands high. A great
point IN that class of horses was tlCir
intelligence; they were traciab.o,
quick Of movement. seeming to com.
prrhcnd what n man wanted, and wero
readily trainol for any thing. Horse
sense Is rs good n thing in n horsc's
head rs in n mans skull. but the horses
do not seem TO have MS much brains
now rs they used 10. Up to five years
ago there was no trouble in getting all
the cavalry horses needed on this mar
kci."
No." chimod in Jbel Thomas, n
sub-con n'ractur. who is now furnishing
the army with one hundred and fifty
cavalry hors -. Il us1d to come hers
and Luy fifty head day for ,hc cav
airy service. and now | think am do
ing remarkably well Il pick up car
load week that will pass Inspection.
Tho horses buy are 10 bc inspc ctcd
at Fort Scott or Leavenworth. and Tho
time was when man could buy enc
hundred head OF fr3t-class cavai-y
horses within radius of scventy-f,p
miles Of Kan as CITY inside Of a week.
but now it Is very d ifcrcnt. There
are more horses in that region than
there ever were before. but
they are not tho right build;
they are TOO big and awkward
ard they are not built TO carry man
in n saddle. ID ring the past two
months | have visited all the little
towns around Kansas City in Missouri
and Kansas within n circuit of one
hrndrcl and fifty miles. aud when |
got place where ten or Il dozen
horses were waiting for purchaser
there was not more than one or two
out Of the lot that would meet the re-
quircments | found 1t very cxpcn.
sivc getting enough horses together to
ill my contract, so gave mp the idea
Il finding them In country towns aud
have come to s.. Louis where plenty
Of horses are to BE- f. und."
Yes" resumed Major Chambers,
st is just as Mr.. Thomas says. there
are more horses in the country now
than ever before, but they are not the
right kind. The stock we want las
run ont. There has Lean too much i'm.
ported draft b,o,d infused into the
native stoc[ during tho past five
years. have long since been aware
that it required fully six months to ac-
climate, n cavalry horse and Gt him
properly for frontier service. Expert
cnce has proved beyond doubt tha, tho
Government gols no use of It's cavalry
horses under six months. And that
fact induced mo 10 recommend TO tho
Q Iartcrmnstcr-G neral now sys-
TEN # providing cavalry horses.
Inc u blNcfnmenl hHs fesclNallOn
Of 80. 0C0 acres Of land near Fort R,nO.
in one Of the finest corn and grass pro-
ducing countries in tho world. There
Is cavalry school already established
there, aud 1t is my idea that tho Gov
1rnment would save money aud secure
an exc 'llont class Of cavalry horses by
purchasing colts at four or five years
Old aud placing lhom on this rescrya-
tion. where tho cavalrym2n can a.
tend TO them properly and gradually
bro k the young stock 10 rid. They
can be trained ih"ro. too. for Tho scrv-
ice. A horse Is very much like a man.
He must DO trainol. and the place 10
do that Is at the cavalry school. J
nave abandoned the idea OF the Gov
ernment engagl g in horse breeling."
n.