The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-09-14
WE CONSUME MANY HORSES
BUT NOT IN THE WAY THEY DO In
FRANCE.
How Horses Are Used by the Hard Work
and Hard Pavements OF City-Livery
Horses Last About Tcar-Big Prices
for Fine Turnouts.

The statement that Washington is great con-
sumer of horsefesh would not strike the over
fastidious Washingtonian as a very welcome
piece of intelligence. But in Washington the
consumption is not carried on as it is in France,
and the reader need not become alarmed at the
suggestion. The fact remains, however, that
every year hundreds of horses are brought to
this city, used a short time, and despatched no
one knows exactly whittier.
There are seventy-fve or eighty livery stables
in the Capital City. They are of all sizes and
conditions, but as general rule it may be said
that the horses hired here are of good quality.
a reporter of THE HERALD had an interesting
talk with Mr.. j. w La Tourette, the well-known
householder, of Tenth street, the other day, and
learned some facts about Washingtonisns and
their penchant for horses.
\ good horse and buggy can be hired here for
the afternoon for ST. Everybody knows that,
but very few know that there is one fashionable
stable in town which hires teams to wealthy pub
lie men at prices as high as $500 per month. A
team of this kind includes pair of horses, one
or more carriages, and coachman. This is
rather an expensive mode of locomotion, but
there are some congressman who can afford it
and are willing to pay that much for the pleas
ure of having a team which they can call their
own and always count on having at their service.
Most of the Representatives, though. do not
hire teams at $500 month, or even half OF 1t.
There is large proportion of our lawmakers
who are content to have cabby in waiting for
hem at their residences after breakfast and at
the Capitol in the afternoon at adjournment
hour. This costs them from fifty cents to one
dollar a day. There are other Congressman,
and this is probably the largest class, whose
horses do not cost them more than ten cents
day. These statesmen hire their horses on the
communistic plan, sharing the expense with
many other citizens. The horses thus hired are
riv in Of Of
other Senators and Representatives have horses
of their own. The best of board for horses can
be had for twenty dollars or twenty-five and
half per month
Horseback riding revves with the coming Of
fall. Every year the number Of devotees OF
this healthful and exharating exercise becomes
greater. The season for riding begins in q week
or two now, generally about the middle Of
September. And after that until winter the
country roads will be gay with equestrian par
ties.
Washington is poor market for high-priced
horses This is probably due to the fact that
horses last but short time here, and horse
must be chosen more for the service he is to rem
der than for his blood. The streets here are ex-
ceedingly hard on the feet of the ordinary horse,
while tnely-bred animals are knocked out of
shape in no time unless the utmost care is taken
of them. The heavy but good-looking horses
which Maryland and Virginia turn out in such
numbers can be obtained in this city for from a
hundred dollars up to three or four hundred,
anu IueS SelNe every PuIpOsc anu lasI lnuCli
longer than the thoroughbreds costing much
more. good serviceable saddle horse can be
bought here for hundred and fifty dollars.
Such horse is usually in addition good driv-
ing animal and of a symmetrical build.
Horses on the average last about year in
this city-that is, livery-stable horses. They
are used much more than the horse kept for
private use, and consequently wear out much
sooner. The shock experienced by the con-
stantly recurring contact with the unyielding
concrete is severe strain on the finer tendons
of the horses joints, and the evil results very
soon make themselves apparent. Some horses
won't last six months under the strain. Others
may last several years, but generally year is
set as the time at which horse may begin to
develop troubles resulting from this cause
There seems to be no way of avoiding this
trouble, and the man who will come forward
with patentable device for overcoming it may
expect to reap fortune. The experiment has
been tried of placing rubber under the hoof and
between it and the shoe. Rubber draws, how
ever, and the feet of the horse soon become
very sore. Calhs are worn here to disadvan
tage, as they are of no service whatever, and
only result in throwing the horse's hoof out OF
the natural position, increasing the strain OF
the more delicate muscles