Evening star., 1901-05-04
THE DEMAND FOR HORSES.
Breeders and Dealers Are Now Kick
Ing Themselves.


Ing Themselves.
t"fhe big prices the United States govern
ment finds itself compelled to pay for
mounts for its cavalry, and their scarcity,
make horse breeders and dealers feel like
kicking themselves at their lack Of fore
sight, and that a glimpse into the future
could not have been had several Years
ago." said a South Washington horse deal
er to a Star reporter this morning.
"W hen the bicycle fever caught the peo-
pie where the collar catches the horse.
the breeders of that revered friend of man
| threw UP their hands in despair, and fell
in line with the other wiseacre prophets
who chimed about the passing of the
horse and like rot. until your ear ached.
They stopped breeding, sold off their stock
grimly sat down to await the inevitable
crash. and to witness with fearful eyes
the aforesaid passing
but the horse refused to be passed and
baked. There were two or three years Of
stagnation. Then the clouds of war be-
tween this country and Spain gathered and
with them came an increased demand for
horses and mules. This demand steadily
increased and former breeders and farmers
found themselves unprepared to meet it.
'The dream of the pasAing of the horse
proved iridescent. Following the Span
ish war came the war in the Trans
vaal and the demand already stimulated
increased to unprecedented proportions.
Mule breeders and horse raisers found
themselves objects Of tender solicitude on
the part of the agents of the British en-
pire.
And now to cap the climax comes the
army reorganization bill. with it's provision
| for the new regiments Of cavalry, and no
abundant supply of horses for the cavalry
men. These regiments must be placed in
4 nT1ljS a i'm
pelative prerequisite. Following in the
wake of the agents of Great Britain are
| the agents of the War Department. who
are literally begging suitable mounts at
| the formerly unheard-of price of S125 and
| $50 each, against $40 and $50 few
years ago.
'It is my opinion that there is no danger
of OVERRIDING the horSe-breeding business
| for some years to come. If the long-ex-
| pected European war is not in sight, Ii
| looks as if a good telescope might discov-
| er the date, and whether it materialzes OF
| not, the state Of preparedness deemed nee
| essary by the different countries will cause
| a stiff damand for horses which cannot be
| supplied at home, and their agents must
| look to us for the supply precisely as did
Great Britain.
| 'If there is war in the east the price OF
| horsefesh in this country will go up high
1t takes from four to five years to turn
out a good cavalry mount. and breeders
| who have not kept abreast OF the times had
better wake up and increase the OUTPUT OF
4
| their stock farms.
| There are many good stock farms in
Virginia and Maryland from which We get
| a good proportion of horses for the Wash
| ington market. There are lots of other
| farms in these states which are now
| scarcely self-supporting which could be de-
| voted to stock raising to advantage and
| profit. AS a side issue horses are easily
| and profitably raised in this climate.
| made a trip among some OF these farms
| this month looking up horses for our city
A. h,a 4
| the stock WANTED. Instead of writing about
| the passing of the horse for the lack of
| occupation by reason of motor vehicles, 1t
would be more appropriate to chronicle the
| scarcity of the animal by reason of de-
| cidedly heavy and healthy demand for his
services in this and other countries, and
the immediate prospects of still greater de-
| mand. If 1t keeps up, cavalry mounts will
| go to $3.50 to 500 each. almost as much as
weli-bred horses sell for at auction"