The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-01
TEN THOUSAND HORSES.
The Government Takes a Pride in It's
Four-Footed Stock.
From the Washington Post.

me Government Takes Pride in It's
Four-Footed Stock.
From the Washington Post.
Whenever, upon the occasion of any
public parade, the cavalry stationed at the
garrison at Fort Myer forms part of the
procession the magnificent appeara ce Of the
horses excites ths universal admiration of
tie spec ,ators. Their size, for they are
above the ordinary build, suggests In it elf
the idea of strength, while the Uniformly
shaped head aud large, Iro ninent eyes tell
OF the intelligence of the animal The horse
is as mucn of the cavalryman's ou,fi5 as is
his saber or his rhine, and he must needs
possess the strength to endure long, forced
marches and the understanding to be of the
most p )ssible benefit to hi rider in figating
by requiring the least attention.
II is said that France expends annually
500, 900 in the imp 'ovemen: of her horses
with a view of obtaining hardv-bred ami
mails, whose endurance makes them
especially valuable for such irregular
service as is required Of the Cossacks of
Russia, the Unlans of Germany, and our
mounted infantry.
The United States does not spend nearly
so much, but it secures a class of horses
high above the average, and by proper and
humane treatment loses but a small per-
CtuLdS0 Vi bub IL. MOTGON6T, Tile
when it becomes the property of Uncle
Sam fares better than its fellows, and ordi-
narily its life is continued in the service for
some years beyond that Of the horses Of
other armies.
Congress annually appropriates "about
$500, 000 TO be expended in the purchase of
horses. This amount is divided pro rata
among the divisions of the army, those on
| the Atlantic coast not requiring as large a
FL,
the life Of the animal is II It altogether one
of lazy contentmeht. In Arizona, espa-
cially, the equine mortality is greater than in
any other section, and more horses bscome
disabled and unfit for further service. The
burning ga DIS and alkali deserts lead to
| blindness and diseases of the hoof, and the
| animal mas either to bs shot or sold. The
lack OF proper pasturage and feed also cuts
an important figure in the life OF the cav
airy horse in the remote garrlsonS of the
west, for while his eastern brother is feed
ing luxuriantly on a full allowance of oatS
and corn twice day and sleeping in a com
Portable stable, the western horse is making
a scanty meal on huSks and sleeping i'll a
ramshackle building that seems to have
been especially constructed for free circu-
lation of air.
There are really 10000 horses in use by
the Uni ed States army. or this number
about 10 per cent are sold annually be-
cause of their unfitness for further cavalry
or artillery duty, and about per ceat. are
lost by death. So, in order to maintain
the standard, it is nee sssary to purchase
about 800 animals every year. When
the stock of garrison needs replenishine
the quartermasser generals depar tment is
notified. An adver dsemelt inviting bids
IS inserted in the pronIiue 1T papers and !
contract entered into with the Lowest bid
der to deliver the horses at the desired
point, it, after suitable inspection by the
Secretary of War, they meet the require
ments of this ~ ( standard fixed
by the army regulations. The reg
u|ations require that the horse
shall be a gelding of uniform and hardy
color; from fifteen to seventeen hands
high; from to 8syears old, and weighing
between 900 and 1900 pounds for a cavalry
horse, and between ,050 and 1900 for
artillery horses. There are other require
ments necessary, such as the general huild
of the animals and their health. Whfn
ever it becomes necessa y TO purchase the
half-breed horses of California or South .rn
Texas the standard of the height is reduced
to fourteen and one-half hands, Long-legged,
loose-jointed, long-bodied ard narrow
chested horses as well as those which are
estive or vicious, are rejected.
Most of the horses Used in the army ara
although the general rule of late has been
to obtain the animals in the neighborhood
in which they are desired for use, the idea
being to OBJ ain thoroughly acclimatei ami
mails. The average cost of a horse is a trifs
over $134
AS soon as the purchase is completed the
horse is branded with the letters ~. s." Oh
the left fore shoulder, and complete d =
scriptive list is made of him, which always
1bat.
The horses are distributed by the regimen
tai commander, and the riders or drivers
are not allowed to exchange them or permit
any one else to u5e them.
With every troop of cavalry record of
the animals is kept, containing a descrip-
ton of every one received and transferred,
showing the kind, name, age, size, color,
marks, brands, or other pecuiarities, how
and when acquired and disposed of, the
name of its rider and driver, and the use to
which it is applied.
The forage ration for a horse is fourteen
pounds of hay and twelve unds of oats,
corn, or barley, and in special cases of hard
service or exposure the grain ration is
usually increased three pounds In localities
where good grazing is practicable for con-
siderable portion of the day, or during sea-
sons when little labor is required of the ami
mails, the ration is usually reduced.
The animals usually last about six years,
and at the end of that ii ne are sold at auc-
ton, or efore, if they are disabled so as to
be unfit for service When sold the officer
puts another brand on the horse, making it
impossible for the horse to be sold to the
government at some other point. Con-
demned animals do not bring much. They
are worthless for carriage purposes and are
too much worn out to be fit for the m ore
arduous work of street-car hauling They
are usually sold to contractors, who employ
them in hauling small loads. But the army
horse does not lat long after be drops out
of the service. Usually he does not amount
to much when the government has no
further use for his services, and his career
thereafter is as short as it is uneventful
Not Altogether Alone.-There was very
small audience prese mt, and it was rapidly