The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-20
THE AMERICAN HORSE.

The Army and Nary Journal has an in
ieresting article on the recent ride of Ger
man and Austrian cavalry officers between
Berlin and Vienna. A prize of $1,000 was
offered to the rider who would cover the
distance-360 miles-in the shortest time,
and number of officers entered themselves
for the race, the Germans starting from
Berlin. the Austrians starting from Vienna.
The winner, Count Stalirembery OF Austria,
covered the ground In few minutes
less than - hours; the fastest German
took 7311z hours, and three other Apstrians
IS hours The horses of the two fastest
riders died day or two after the exploit.
The Army and Nary Journal shows by
the records that the speed of these foreign
riders has often been equaled, and has
sometimes been surpassed by cavalrymen
In the American service. 1t Is not unusual
for the ordinary troop horses 10 that service
to ride from 120 to 80 miles in "a hours.
without injury to man or beast When the
Indians of Milk River rose in 1879 ana
killed the agent, more than one courier RODE
10 miles to General Nerritps command In
q hours. and the general himself. with
large command. and number OF pack
wagons, covered the same distance In 661a
hours. In the army it is held that cavalry
horse sho uld. after months drill, be
able to cover so to 60 miles a
day without incon venience, and in case
of emergency should be able to travel 100
miles in the twenty-four hours. In the
old pre-railroad days. when the mails were
carried on ponies for long distances, and
quite frequently the rider travelled by night
only in order TO avoid Indians, it was not
uncommon for mail-carrier to ride hun
dred miles between dusk and dawn. The
mail from FL Paso TO Chihuahua was thus
often delivered On the fourth morning after
il started, the distance being 300 miles.
Many Individual examples might be noted.
In 1878 Colonel Mackenzie rode 145 miles In
% hours; in 1880 Captain Wood. with eight
men, rode 40 miles in 81 hours. Troops OF
cavalry under energetic leaders have COW
cred so miles in 16 hours, 20 miles in Il
hours So miles in IA hours, los miles IN 50
hours.
The difference between these American
examples and the German-Austrian is that
a large proportion of the horses engaged in
the latter test died shortly after arrival,
whereas the American horses seldom suf-
fered from the trial of their endurance.
The Journal supplies the obvious explana-
ton that the t5oroughbreds which the Ger
mans and Austrians rode were bred and
trained for speed, while the American cav
more bottom and endurance. Il says that
American cavalrymen could have per-
formed the feat of which the Austrians
boast without laundering their animals.
The speed which can be got out OF
cavalry is just as important as the speed
which can be got out of the vessels Of the
navy. The general'who has the most men
at the point of contact is apt to win the day.
ard although IL is getting to be the fashion
to esteem the cavalry arm OF the service
lightly, and some military critics think
it win presently be dispensed with alto
gether its usefulness In operations Gu the
plains will always be admitted by those
who have had practical experience OF In
dian warfare. A troop which can be ridden
fifty miles in day and which will be fresh
enough TO go into action On the following
day is worth two troops which can only be
moved at the regulation rate of twenty-five
or thirty miles day, and courier who can
carry dispatches hundred miles without
hating is almost worth as much as a tele-
graph-wire.
1t used TO be a maxim that the endurance
of a man is greater than that of a horse;
that a man and horse being started TO-
gether to carry dispatches of high impor-
lance the man will cover more miles tn n
time this maxim was adopted horses were
not as carefully trained for endurance as
our modern cavalry animals are. General
Miles reyolutonized that branch of the ser
vice when he instituted his rider and pur-
suer drills in which troops were trained
| to ride $50 miles, with scarcely any STOP
| pages for rest. a day. In the war there
| were couriers who rode l00 miles almost
| without stopping and brought in their
| horses fresh. The longest runs of the In-
| dian runners were about eighty miles. Ac-
| cording to Prescotfs history the couriers in
| MonteZuma's service brought him fer even
| ing dinner fish which had been caught the
morning before in the bay OF Vera Cruz,
| tbs distance being about 200 miles. but the
| historian does not say that there was no
| change of the couriers on the way. With
| proper relays either horses or men can
travel $50 miles or nearly that distance in
| the tWeuty-four hOurs