The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-06
BAD CAVALRY HORSES.
HOW THEY ARE PROCURED FOR
THE ARMY.

trles-Engiand Will Make Jamaica
Its Breeding station-suggestions by
an Experienced Horseman.
Copyright 1892
WASHINGTON, June, 1.-The shabby
appearance of our cavalry horses in the
two great parades of the year has been the
subject of much comment in military cir
Giles. 1t is admitted that the government
does practically nothing for the improve
ment OF perhaps the most important aim
OF the military service. Scores Of millions
have been spent within the lest five or six
years for naval improvements in the way
OF 1ronclads, torpedo boats, coast defenseS,
etc., while for the trooper, the soldier whose
services are constantly in demand on our
frontiers, and who is practically the only
member OF the service whose work is CON
stantly in demand, things have been left in
as primitive state as they were before the
civil war.
The display at the centennial military
parade was Indifferent enough, but even
1t does not indicate how insufficient our
cavalry forca is, and how little care is being
taken to furnish 1t with remounts in the
way OF hardy, sound horses, capable of
carrying weight and enduring long forced
marches where forage at times is scarce
aud where courage and endurance equal
almost to those of the thoroughbred are
needed to sustain an animal during
the arduous stages of frontier warfare.
The cavalry branch Of the regular
army of the United States numbers no
more than 5000. Nearly all of the regi-
ments are stationed on the western from
TIER. few small regiments are distributed
at different headquarters throughout the
country. In New York Two troops of cav
airy are stationed, numbering about I40
men.
During the late war and for 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 super
vision OF the quartermaster department
and by a contractor through the agency of
civilian experts. There are inspections of
course, and the officers deputed to the duty
If 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 seec-
ton OF the horses. it can readily be perceived
that any ideas of improvement that an
officer may have, are practically defeated
at the outset by his inability to carry them
out.
The regulations require that the horses
purchased for the service De between the
ages of 5 and 8 years, that they be of a
solid color and no6 under 1921 hands high.
The average price for these horses is $40.
Now when we consider that the general
contractor sublets his contract to other
contractors who in turn have to employ
middlemen, and what they call in Ireland
runners" all of whom have to make money
out of the transaction. it stands to rea-
son that the government has to pay very
.-1rw1 l.
| from the original seller. That the kind of
horse one can get for from $40 to $50 is
but an an indifferent animal goes without
saying. Cavalry officers tell me that the
average term of usefulness 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 when they too have to be discarded
| and fresh recruits put in their places
The question of cavalry remounts is one
| that has been occupying the attention of
| every government in Europe for years. 1t
IS true that the question there Is one of more
| immediate importance than it is here. but
| In consequence the point at issue has been
more thoroughly considered and expert
| ments have been made in proportion Italy
has been breeding horses for long time
| for government uses, and so of course have
| Austria and more particularly Germany,
| important points. Lists are kept of practi-
| cally every available horse for cavalry, ar
| tillery and other military purposes.
1t Is to England and France that we have
to look for the highest efficiency in the
| cavalry service and for the encourage
meut Of horse breeding in general. Eng
| land for years past has been dependent on
| its shres and to large extent on Ireland
| for the class of horse that may be described
md xuh NV
| grade, furnishes the high and low class cav
| airy horse. But with the agricultural de-
| preston that has prevailed for so long
| time in England, and the political troubles
| in Ireland the authorities have been COM
| PEELED to look elsewhere for substantial re-
mounts. France and other continental
| states were of course unable to spare any
desirable stock, and the horses they were
| willing to dispose of were not worth having
Then the United States were thought of, as
| it was supposed that with the immense
| grazing lands in the west at the disposal of
! breeders no difficulty would be experienced
| in securing the animals required at cheap
| rate. During the past six years at least
| three sets of inspectors, composed of thor
| oughly Informed army officers have been to
| this country to ascertain whether the de-
sired article could be obtained here, and
| though they visited not alone the breeding
| regions of the states, but made very close
| examination of the actual and possible re-
| sources of Canada, they all reported that
| nothing available was to be found. A royal
commission to inquire into the horse breed
| ing interest in general and the cavalry in
| terest in particular, has been appointed,
which thus far has made no progress Some
| few months ago London Field proposed a
| plan of utilizing Jamaica, one of the most
valuable of the West Indian Islands owned
| by the British, as government breeding
| station, and during a recent visit to the
| West Indies in which | made pretty
thorough study of the breeding interests, /
have every reason to believe that that plan
! will be resorted to. Jamaica contains little
| else in the way of rocky formation but
limestone, the very thing which has given
| the blue grass region of Kentucky and
| Tennessee its fame, because it goes to the
formation of bone, and being absorbed in
the water as well as through its properties
in the grass tends ID give horses raised in
that region the bone, substance and strength
] for which they are noted. Furthermore, in
Jamaica there is an invaluable grass called
! the guinea grass. 1t is not as fine, and in
| proportion to bulk not as nutritious as the
| famous blue grass, but it is hardy gra IS
growing very high, and does not need much
cleaning. 1t makes splendid hay, and is
altogether capital natural food for cattle
and horses. 1t is proposed to use selected
native mares, and half-bred English mares,
as well as thoroughbred stations, for breed
y. \ II