The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-27
Raising Horses In the Far West.

CIV. II. Raymond in Field and Farm.l
The cattlemen of The west owe much TO
their hardy COW horses. Few horses
endure such privations and hardships
Through binding billiards, drifting snow
and raging streams they carry the hardy
cowboy safely Does the west owe so
much to any horse as the saddle horse?
l think not. We VIII be but paying Il
deserved tribute when We make our coun-
try the home of the grandest family of
saddle horses in the world. Nature has
bequeathed US the grandest horse country
on earth The vast domain west of the
Missouri river 10 the Pacific ocean, and
from the Gulf of Mexico to the British
possessions, is i vast horse range, that
no country the sun shines on can equal.
The possibilities Of this vast country as u
horsS-breed.ng section dGZZles the ina 81
nation. The high altitude. undulaUnS sur
face luXuriant grasses, sandy sol! and
pure water combine to make ii a natural
breeding ground for the horse.
There is room in this vast domain for 4
thousand breeding farms. with a thou
sand horses each. and not crowd our
the armies of the world. and our rapidly
growing cities with the finest horses that
ever parade. their avenues and bride
paths The fact that this area is such Il
natural home for the horse has initiated
against il, as the most common breeds of
horses have been allowed TO propagate.
This will be remedied In the near future.
Good horses must be well bred. 1t is gen
orally admitted by those interested in the
park or carriage horse that the demand
for such horses IS greater than the sup
ply; and as there mas been a great fall
ing OFF in breeding all kinds Of horses in
our country the past five years they are
wondering from whence the future supply
is coming.
The style Of carriage horses in America
has undergone great change in the past
twenty years. There was time when
any smooth horse, sixteen to seventeen
hands high. would pass for a coach horse,
regardless of action. The inauguration of
horse shows in our large cities has done
much to educate the public 10 the proper
form and action of the typical park horse
Many people think before we could es-
tablish a breed Of the present style of
horce now in demand, the fashion would
change; but I believe the type that now
Dleases the public is the very best style
of horse ever used for heavy traps Fash
ion has reduced the height of carriage
horses about four inches, but requires
more substance and far more knee and
hook action. a muscular, -cob-built horse,
fifteen to sixteen hands with high knee
and hook action-tEe higher the better.
providing IL is graceful-will now pass for
n carriage horse, and the more finish and
the more breezy in appearance, the great
er the value.
Few breeders in the west are trying TO
breed saddle horses; they seem to think
that saddle horses come by chance. 1t is
not unusual in some sections 70 see range
horses Great care is taken in few
states by the breeders to keep them up
to their present high standard. What is
known as the gated saddier. or Kentucky
saddle horse, has been bred for more than
q hundred years by intelligent breeders.
They are generally known as the Dem
mark and Highlander families and their
descendants. But little attention has been
paid to their propagation in the " est,
and few of thep are to be found.
Yet the entire west is admirably adapted
TO their rearing and use. Our trackiess
prairies are smoother than eastern roads
and our stock trails are their. delight, and
to ride them over our smooth roads is
dream. There are states in the west that
have not single stallion of this elegant
breed.