Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-07-12
How Chargers are Produced for
the Army-CaValry Horses
of Other Countries.

The shabby appearance of our cavalry
horses in the two great paradeS of the year
has been the subject of much comment in
government does practically nothing for
the Improvement of perhaps the most i'm
portant arm of the military service. Scores
of millions have been spent within the
last five or six years for naval improve
ments in the way of ironclads, torpedo
boats, coast defenses. etc, while for the
trooper. the soldier whose services are con-
stantly In demand on our frontiers, and
who Is practically the only member Of the
service whose work is constantly in de-
mand, things have been left in as primitive
The display at the centennial military
parade was Indifferent enough, but even it
does not Indicate how insufficient our cav
airy force is, aud how little care Is being
taken to furnish it with remounts in the
way of hardy, sound horses capable of ear
ryng weight and enduring long forced
marches where forage at times is scarce
and where courage and endurance equal
almost to those of the thoroughbred are
needed to sustain an animal during the ar
duous stages of frontier warfare.
The cavalry branch of the regular army
OF the United States numbers not more
than 5000. Nearly all of the regiments are
stationed on the western frontier. few
small regiments are distributed at different
headquarters throughout the country. In
New York two troops of cavalry are sta
toned, numbering about 40 men.
During the late war and for a few years
after horses for the army were purchased
as well as selected by boards of officers and
the results obtained were upon the whole
very satisfactory. At present, however,
the horses are purchased under the supper
vision of the quartermaster's department
and by contractor through the agency of
civilian experts. There are Inspections
of course, and the officers deputed to the
duty of inspecting the horses furnished by
the contractors do the best they can, but
when it is remembered that their powers
are limited to inspection and rejection. and
that they have no voice whatever in the Sc
lection OF the horses, il can readily be per-
ceived that any ideas of Improvement that
an officer may have, are practically de-
feated at the outset by his inability to ear
~ them out.
The regulations require that the horses
purchased for the service he between the
ages of five aud nine years. that they be
of solid color and not under 1j.2iI hands
high. The average price for these horses
is $40. Now, when we consider that the
general contractor sublets his contracts to
other contractors, who in turn have TO en-
ploy middlemen. and what they call i'm Ire
land runners" all of whom have 10 make
money out of the transaction. it stands to
reason that the government has to pay very
nearly double what the horse would cost
from the original seller. That the kind
of horse one can get for from $40 To $50
is but an Indifferent animal goes without
saying Cavalry officers tell me that the
average term of the army horse purchased
in the west is about two years. Horses
bought in the east. having more size and
substance, last somewhat longer, but not