The evening times., 1899-08-09
AMERICAN BRED HORSES
Efforts to Extend the Foreign Mar
ket for Native Steeds.
Why England Was Formerly Preju-
diced Against Those Exported by
the United Stntes-Peculiar Re
quirements for the British Cab
Service-Why Complaints Are Made

Service-Nhy Complaints Are Made
| The Secretary of Agriculture, despite the
| growth of electrical appliances, is be-
| lever in the present and in the future oil
the American horse During his admins
tration he has sought to extend the market
| for American bred animals and has col
lected much data in foreign countries which
is of value TO American breeders. One of
the recent publications authorized by Sec
retery Wilson is a report on the character
of horses required to supply the European
demands
1t is said that no real prejudice exists In
England against the American horse for
cab or other purposes and at present II
stands absolutely on its merits. though
there was once aprejudce against the horse
from the western continent which 1t is al
legged was due to the expectation OF so many
inferior animals. This was not altogether
because of desire TO palm of poor horses
| on the foreign market but rather because
the exporter did not at first know what the
English trade demanded. The American
breeder is not advised to make any bid for
the business of supplying cab horses 10
England as Ireland is now furnishing them
TO companies In London at from $50 TO Sl2o
head, and these prices preclude the pos
sibility of the western breeder raising
them and saving profit after paying ship
ping charges insurance, and other costs.
A great many OF the omnibus and CONNER
cial carriage horses in England are Ameri-
can but this field is pointed out as par
ticularly promising one for American breed
ers and exporters. On TINS supJect lne ie-
pert referred TO says:
.aTo meet the requirements Of the bus
companies a horse may be OF any color
hut substantially conform TO the foliow-
ing description: He must stand hfteen
hands two inches high, and may be sixteen
hands, but no more. He must be on short
legs; for, as the buyer OF the largest Lon
don company remarked, then he mas not
far to fall nor far to get up again. The
best types weigh about 1900 pounds and
are compactly built, with good feet, that
is. a well-shaped foot, with good shell
; and a high heel, that will keep him OH
the pavement Avoid large nat ioct
without any heel, for, though good 9TH
= erwise, a horse with such foot is OF no
use on the payements of large city. HIS
. bcue must be heavy and his joints sound
: His cannon bone short and his pastern
: Joint straight. He must have strong, thlch
. hips. with a short back and round ribs.
. and should be built on the chunky or
> DER Flat-sded horses with long oacks'
. and that stand on their hind legs like
cow. are of no use in England and of little
utility anywhere, except On the tarm-
: avoid them.
For the London Cabby.
. '.The bus, which a team of these horses
. draw and handle so well upon the slip
perry pavements of London, is very heavy
machine. Hence the name heavy ma
. chiner' is applied to this horse. team
I
side and on top twenty-siX people, at the
rate of from six TO eight miles per hour.
. They are always shod, and handle such
: weighty vehicles, stopping and starting
: so suddenly, with apparent ease, and sell
dom slipping or falling. The age at which
. this horse sells best is five years, ana
. being too plain in appearance and too
! heavy in his action for high-class car
: riage horse he is admirably adapted to
| the work which he is asked 10 do in Eng
! land Canada is now supplying the En-
? | glish markets with a large number OF these
i | horses and is at the present time our
] most formidable competitor for this trade.
! Few American horses have found home
: in the English cavalry service. The num-
: Der of horses purchased annually in the
! 1 United Kingdom fer cavalry and artillery
purposes varies from 1,500 TO 1000, and
. the prices range from $3.50 to 5000. There
!. | are now in use for war purposes In Great
: Britain between 15,6G0 and 10000 horses,
I and no difficulty experienced in supply
] ing the demand from Ireland each year
. Here the best cavalry horse is bred from
: the hunting horse, which is almost thor
: oughbred. Most of the troopers, or cavalry
: horses. are from fifteen hands two inches
! | to sixteen hands one inch high, with short
: | backs heavy muscles, and strong bones.
| White and grey are the only colors not used.
I | A square trot is the only gait required,
II / ha p
| footers, or combination saddle horses are
| used Each horse is expected to carry with
II ease and run and jump with from 240 to $50
| pounds upon his back. Hence horses with
long backs and weak loins will not do at
| all. The army prefers TO purchase horses
five years old. but many are bought at
four and kept a year before. they are turn
| ed over to the soldiers.
i About the same kind of horses wanted in
England are used in France, and in 1897
| the number of American animals sold in
= that country was about 5000. The good
draft horses brought from America to
France usually sell for about 5000 each,
but the horses most in demand in Paris, as
elsewhere, are coaching horses from five
to six years old. and which
sell readily at from $3.50 to $500. according
TO their style, action, and quality. If they
attain the distinction Of high-class car
riage horses the price in Paris, as in Lon
don, is only governed within reason by
their quality and the size of the purchas-
er's purse.
One of the leading complaints against
the American horse in foreign countries is
that he is not we'll broken-that is, that
he is not gentle Other complaints urged
against our horses in France are that their
necks are too short, they stand with their
| hooks too close togethe~ their hips are
not long enough. their backs too long. ETC..
but many OF these objections could be
I found with the horses of any other country
American Equines in Berlin.
The bus horses OF Berlin come mostly
from Denmark and are very similar in con
formation 10 the bus horses used in Lon
don, though not so uniform. Quite num-
Der of American horses are now used or
omnibuses in Berlin with entire sa.isfac-
tion, and are becoming popular.
The class of horses that the Tn ted
States is now sending to the different Eu-
ropean markets suits much better than
those formerly sent, which is due perhaps
= TO the fact that the importer better TN.
derstands the demands of his customer;
than formerly, but however this may b:
the horses now sent are fast redeeming the
reputation of the American horse. which
: was most unfavorable for some time, o.
y account of the very inferior animals sem
= TO the different European countries wher
|. the business of exporting horses from the
: United States first assumed Importance
v The prices paid by the bus companies o
: Berlin for their horses range from SIZE tr