Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1903-01-01
HOME Of !HE HORSE.
Eastern Oregon Great
Horse Country.
OLD TIME BREEDERS
Natural Advantages for Produc-
ing Fine Horses.
MORROW COUNTY WINNERS
After Years of Depression fhe Mar
kct is Looking Up, which Has
Awakened Interest in
Horse Industry.

While a great deal has been said and
written about Morrow county stock in
terests, the subject has been confined to
sheep and cattle, because the wool and
beef producers are now in the ascendan-
cy, but il should not be forgotten that
this portion OF Eastern Oregon is one of
the greatest horse countries on earth
from the standpoint of natural condi-
tions that go to produce good horse.
When Lewis und Clarke, with their
brave party of explorers, hoated down
the Columbia river, almost century
ago, the hills of this country were COW
cred with horses OF the famous Cay use
breed, then owned by the Indians, and
had been running here long before white
men knew anything about this country.
The Csyuse, with his white eyes and
spotted coat, has been the subject of
many newspaper articles. A writer in a
Portland paper recently traced the an
cestry OF these tough little horses away
back to Arabian blood, coming from the
pick and choice of such herds that no
~ ar,1J
tan of Turkey to part with today.
Whether the owners of the celebrated
Arabian horses, were induced to break
the sacred charm, and part with the an
cestors OF the Cayuse or not, it makes
but little difference, for no one knows
where the Indian horse came from. No
particular attention was paid to the
breeding OF the Cayuse by the Indians,
and it was question of the survival of
the fttest, for the Indian horse grew in
harmony with his environments.
Many fossil remains are now found
from The Dalles to the John Day valley,
that great fossil bed which is now civ.
ing up the remains of pre- historic ami
mails that existed prior to and during
the lake period, of horses of different
sizes and kinds, that roamed over the
n dc -
The great endurance, stamina and
good form of the Oayuse is not due to
any particular stock, but to the perfect
natural conditions under which these
horses were reared.
Today, horses of oil kinds and breeds
grown in this c"uptry, show greater en-
durance. lung power, better feet. and
more perfect form. than in any country
10 the United States. This is a broad
assertion, but it is true.
Take it in the far north in Alaska
where there was rigid test 10 the mat
ter OF endurance ani stamina to stand
hardships, the Eastern Oregon horse
could stand twice as much as the British
Columbia horses, or horses used there
from other places.
In the South African war when Fnp-
land purchased thousands of horses. the
Eastern Oregon horses stood the LONG
sea voyage better and were more service
able than any other horses.
The causes ascribed for the euperior.
lty of Eastern Oregon horses are. climatic
conditions, altitude, and the nutritious
native grasses upon which these horses
are brought up.
In an early day in this country most
OF the stockmen were engaged il raising
horses when wool was worth from %
cents to 30 cents per pound and there ,
vas no end to range, but sheep were
lard to get, Bnd harder to take care of at
uch a great distance from market. and |
when herders were not looking for jobs |