The times., 1901-05-12
THE AMERICAN BRED HORSE
He Has Successfully Met Competi-
tion at Home and Abroad.

Some suggestions to Exporters
The South African war has directed The
attention Of all Europe to the American
! horse and mule. and there is at present
an unprecedented demand for them. A
! few years ago extraordinarily low prices
prevailed for horses in this country and
+ horse breeders and horse raisers through
/ out the country were correspondingly de
pressed. It is possible that in this appar-
! ent cause for discouragement there was
/ a blessing in disguise, for it may have
/ been to these extremely low prices that
the first impetus to the foreign demand
was due.
Whatever the cause, there has been an
I increasing demand abroad for American
horses for the past few years. The be-
ginning of this demand was during 1898
! the year of the Chicago World Fair.
/ During the next year there were only five
! foreign buyers on the Chicago market,
and only 1900 head of horses, twice as
many as had been shipped to Europe in
/ an experimental way the year before,
were exported Now, in Chicago alone
/ there is a steady European demand for
the American animal.
European nations, with the exception
of Hungary and Russia, do not produce
as many horses as they need and of late
years have drawn largely upon Canada
and the United States to supply the de-
ficiency. This condition of affairs is due
! largely to the thickly populated state of
! the countries, which also operates to pre-
vent the production of sufficient cereal
and other food stuffs, creating a market
for many of the agricultural products of
the United States, and partly to the large
number of horses which are required by
their armies.
THE QUESTION OF BREEDING.
Much that has been written regarding
the kind of horse needed for export trade
would lead one to believe that European
horses are entirely different from those
raised on this side of the Atlantic and
that they are bred according to definite
formula, as TO length, height, thickness.
weight, etc. American horse-raisers have
just as good stock as those of their fell
low-bTeeders on the other side where
good, Indifferent. and inferior horses for
draft coach, and other breeds are pro-
duced the same as in this country But
when horses are selected for shipment by
rail and sea, reason dictates choice
of those individuals, the best of their kind,
which will command a price sufficient to
pay purchase money, transportation ex-
penses, and a profit Besides, European
countries doubtless produce a sufficiently
large number Of inferior horses for their
own use. and the demand is only for such
animals as are the best of their class.
Europe wants good horses of all breeds
Just as America does, but there are some
conditions which are not the same.
Therefore good horse which would be
gust the thing for the purpose of the buy
er IN America might be unsuited TO the
work OF the prospective European buyer
and the reverse is equally true, As the
foreign demand is the life OF the trade
the taking off Of the market of a large
number of horses and thus increasing the
Naiue OF those that remain, as shown in
the large increase in the price Of horses
since this outlet was created. il is re-
garded good policy by horse-breeders to
study the taste and desires of this large
produce as many horses as possible that
viii comply with these demands.
Besides the usual demand for horses for
craft, carriage, and other business pur-
poses Of civil life, common to this c0un-
Try and Europe. in the latter there is a
considerable animal need for horses to
remount the cavalry and haul the artil-
Iery ana baggage trains OF their large
armies.
While written descriptions of the horses
required for the United States Army and
those OF the European armies are prac-
tically the same nevertheless the ami
mails themselves differ materially in
many important particulars, according to
the different needs and ideas of the coun-
tries. The American horse is a weight
carrier He can stand hard work and
can take care of himself when forage
gives out. The European horse receives
more careful treatment. has much smaller
parts, and is more lightly and gracefully
built. The American animal may be the
more serviceable, but it, in order to sell
the American horse. he must be brought
as nearly as possible to the taste and
ideas Of the purchaser, il pays to do So
Germany and France especially, it is
claimed by those in a position to know.
are not dependent upon this country to
supply them with army horses III time of
peace, nor do these Governments send
agents over here to buy horses. The for
eign dealers actually here are simply
horse dealers who buy what they believe
they can dispose Of with profit to them
selves. Nevertheless, there is no law or
rule or regulation which interferes with
the sale Of American horses for military
purposes in European countries
BUYING ARMY HORSES.
The general system for purchasing
horses for the army is the same in both
France and Germany, two of the largest
users Of army horses. \ remount COM
consisting of officers and vet
have full powers and discre-
ton, limited only to the designated num-
Der of horses and to the average price
per capita TO be paid. These boards sit
at stipulated tunes ana places, ana All
those who have horses TO offer are free
to bring them for inspection. The Of
icers decide what price they Will offer for
each individual horse, subject to salts
factory report from the veterinarian, and
the owner can refuse or accept as he
sees fit. on acceptance the sum agreed
upon is paid in cash TO the owner There
are six Of these remOunt commissions in
ern Prussia most of the cavalry horses, !
and the other three paying more atten-
ton TO draft animals for artillery and
baggage trains, purchasing something
over 1900 horses annually in north |
Prussia.
In France the number of horses pur-
chased may be slightly more or less than /
100
The cavalry of these two nations is
divided into classes, which in each coun- /
try are similarly mounted. In Germany /
The minimum height for light dragons !
and hussars is IA hands. for Uhlans, !
lragOons. and hussars of the guard the /
minimum height Is lija hands and for /
cuirassiers the minimum height is 10 |.
hands. In France the minimum height /
FOR light cavalry is about 1915 hands and /
for dragons between 1914 and 1512 hands, /
and for cuirassiers between l5&4 and 16 |
hands.
All these horses must be over three |
md under five years old, sound and gentle. |
The first class must weigh from rs to !
$50 pounds; the second class, $50 to 1000 /
pounds, and the third class. $50 to 1150 /
pounds. The artillery and baggage train |
horse is required to be about 14J9 hands /
nigh in Germany, weighing 800 to 1,050
pounds, and 1872 hands high in France,
$50 TO LOO pounds
Horses to be accepted in the army serv-
ce must be perfectly sound and not
licous, of solid dark color, without
prominent marks. A weI-bred, low
short, thick-set horse, with strong nanAa
good high tail, ribs rounded out so as 10 |
furnish well, weli-shaped leg with plen-
y OF bone and good feet, is about the
hing desired.
Most of the German cavalry horses are
bought In eastern Prussia where horse