The evening times., 1899-05-10
This Country May Supply Mounts
for Europe's Cavalry.
Department Of Agriculture Collects
Valuable Information Designed to
Benefit Native Horse Raisers.

| surplus horse production of this country.
For long time low prices had prevailed
for horses in this country, and horse and
horse raisers and breeders were conse-
quently- depressed.
The Department has gathered from all
available sources whatever information
could be procured as to the character
| and extent OF the demand existing
abroad for horses Of all kinds. The re-
suit has been that the export trade in
American horses, which was scarcely be-
! gun five years ago. has advanced with
| rapid strides. The beginning of this ex-
! port trade was laid during the Chicago In
ternational Exposition Of 1893. During
the next year there were only five for
| eign buyers on the Chicago market. and
only 1000 horses were exported from that
| city. while in 1897 there were seventy
| foreign buyers in that market, and three
| fourths of the horses exported to Europe
! went direct from that city.
The European nations with the exception
! of Austria Hungary and Russia Go rot
produce as many horses as they need.
This is due largely-to the thickly popu-
lated state of the countries. which also
operates to prevent the production OF SUI
ficient cereal and other food stuffs, but
partly 10 the large number of horses which
are required for their armies, and which
horses are for the better part OF their
lives withdrawn from productive wo.k
great deal has been published. il is
said. regarding the kind OF horse needed
for the export trade, and the assertion has
often been made that the American horse
| is not up 10 the foreign standard.
The Secretary of Agriculture believes
that the American horse raisers have just
as good stock as that of their fellow
breeders on the other side of the Al. antic,
where good, Indifferent, and inferior
horses of draft. coach, and other breeds
are produced the same as in this country.
But when horses are selected for shipment
five thousand miles by land and sea, the
only kind of horse to ship is that viii h
will command price sufficient TO pay pur-
chase money, transportation expens 5, and
a profit TO the shipper.
Most of the countries in Europe appear
TO produce enough inferior horses for their
own use, though there is an exception TO
this p the case of Denmark. which i'm
ported in 1896 somewhat over 6000 horses
from Russia and Finland, valued AT $50
| head, and exported nearly l6, ,C0o. valued at
S1I2 a head.
Besides the usual demand for horses
for draft, carriage, and other purposes of
, civil life. there is great annual re-
quirement for horses 10 remount the cav
airy and haul the artillery and baggage
trains of the vast armies of Europe. The
horses required for the American and i.u-
ropean armies are somewhat different.
The American army horse is a weight
carrier, with a large barrel TO stand hard
work and to become hustler should for
age give out. The European army horse
careful IreD m hac
smaller barrel, and is more lightly and
gracefully built. The Europeap armies will
not buy the kind of. a horse demanded by
the American Army.
The European governments are not look
ing TO this country to supply them with
horses in time OF peace. Each country is
doing what ii can TO promote the horse in
dustry. so that they may not be dependent
in time of war on any other country for
their military animals. These govern
ments do not send agents here either.
The foreign buyers that are in this coun-
try, it is said, are simply horse dealers,
who buy what they believe they can dis
pose of with profit to themselves. Never
theless, says Secretary Wilson. there is no
law. rule. or regulation which interferes
with the sale of American horses for mill
tary uses in any foreign country.
The method of purchasing horses for the
army is practically the same in Germany
anu rIduCe, TWO OI tne largest users of
army horses. remount commission
consisting of officers and a veterinarian
has full power and discretion, limited only
to the designated number of horses and
to the average price per head to be raid.
These boards sit at stipulated times and
places, and all those having horses to offer
are free TO bring the same for inspection.
The officers decide what price they will
offer for each individual horse, subject to
n fho
and the owner can refuse or accept as he
sees ft. II he accepts, the sum agreed
upon is paid in cash. There are six of
these remount commissions in Germany.
three Of them buying in Eastern Prussia.
most Of the cavalry horses, and the other
three paying more attention to the pur-
chase of draft animals. purchasing some
thing like 10000 horses annually in north
ern Prussia In France, the number of
horses purchased annually for military
uses is about 10000.
The cavalry of France and Germany is
divided into classes. In Germany the
minimum height for mounts for light
dragons and hussars is fourteen hands;
for uhlans, dragons, and hussars of the
guard, the minimum height is fourteen
and one-half hands. and for cuirassiers
the minimum height is fifteen hands. In
France the minimum height for light cav
airy is fifteen and one-eighth hands; mini
mum height for dragons. fifteen and one
quarter, and for cuirassiers, fifteen and
three-quarters.
All these must be over three and under
five years old, sound and gentle. The first
class must weight from 775 to $50 pounds;
the second class from $50 to 1000 pounds,
and the third class from 1O5O to 1,15O
pounds.
Horses to be accepted in the European
army service must be sound and not vic
ious, of solid dark colors without promi-
nent marks.
France has tried many kinds of horses
for her army, Arabian, South American,
and Spanish, but now most of her remounts
for light cavalry come from southern
France, where the horses are a cross from
Spanish Arabian stations upon the native
stock 1t is said that numbers of Ameri-
can horses do find their way into the
armies of both France and Germany under
the name of English and Irish. being land
ed in England on one day and shipped
across the channel Sn- tie next.
France pays for hEr cavalry horses from
$3.50 to $3.50 a head while Germany pays
about $210 head.
Denmark uses English horses for her
cavalry and native animals for artillery
and baggage trains.
Belgian cavalry is mounted with "misft
hunters. from Engiandyand Ireland, and
the price is low. II
There are a good many American horses
in the English artillery service but none
in the English cav4iryF II requires 1000
horses annually to remoHnt Engiand's cav
IL