The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-06-30
RACE HORSES AT SEA
Precautions Are Taken in Shipping
Thoroughbreds Across Ocean,
Stalls Padded and Floors Covered
with Peat MOsH-A Clean Bill of
Health Necessary for
Each Horse. pta.

Few persons have an idea of the de-
tails attendant upon the shipping OF
q thoroughbred from this country TO
England on one of the Atlantic Trans
port line steamers which handle most
of this line of business. A thorough
bred is not handled like dray horse.
The race is as much entitled to COM
fort and consideration as II first-class
cabin passenger. His owner is So
licitous as to his welfare and is will.
ing to pay well for IT, The slightest
jolt due TO the rolling of the ship in
heavy sea might disable thorough
bred so that his trip to the other side
would all be in vain, therefore the
greatest care must be taken that the
quarters on board ship are provided
with precautions against such acct
dents, says the New York Sun.
The railroads have gradually met
the demand for the traffic in race
horses and now run whole trains of
specially constructed horse cars for
the accommodation of thoroughbreds.
According TO the laws of the United
States horse brought over a railroad
to seaport town preparatory to an
ocean voyage must have is hours of
rest in a stable after leaving the cars
before he is led up to the gang plank
TO his stall on shipboard. The New
York Central road has specially con-
structed stable for this purpose at
Thirty-sixth street and the North
oil l.
ing preparations to provide similar
quarters. These stables and the quar-
ters for the horses aboard ship are un-
der the direct jurisdiction of the Unit
ed States bureau Of animal industry.
of which the chief executive for the
port of New York is DR.. William II.
Rose.
The inspectors employed by this bu-
reau have many duties TO perform,
among them close scrutiny of each
ship before horses are allowed to 20
aboard. According to the require
ments of the law, each stall must be
eight feet in length and two feet six
inches in width. These are the accom-
modations for ordinary horses, but
the box stalls for thoroughbreds are
generally ten by eight feet, with the
walls and roof thickly padded. The
floor of one of these stalls is covered
with six inches of peat moss, over
which at night heavy mattress of
straw is thrown so that the racehorse
can enjoy a comfortable sleep. But
the same mattress is not used two
nights in succession. for the law saws
that the racehorse must have a clean
bed every night.
The inspectors disinfect every-
thing before a ship sails, including
stalls, blankets, feed troughs. water
pals, pitchforks and currycombs. A
horse cannot go aboard until he has
received clean bill of health from
veterinary surgeon who represents
the bureau, while the attendants
who sail with the animals must make
affidavit that they are all practical
horsemen. Uncle Sam also sees to
IL that the horses, whether they are
poor beasts of burden or rich racers.
receive proper rations. They get all
the hay they want, the thorough
breds receiving extras in the shape
of bran mash mixed with oats, flax
seed meal and oatmeal, with corn in
cold weather.
Some of the box stalls are built on
the main deck with powerful fans to
produce ventilation. The old plan of
singing" a horse aboard a steamer
has been done away with, big gang
planks having been substituted. A
thousand horses can now walk
aboard in the same time il used to
take TO get an animal onto the deck
by means of sling. When one of
the Atlantic Transport liners lands
a load of horses on the other side
they are put into the companys
stables on the dock and cannot leave
until more veterinaries have gotten
in their work. Horses shipped to
this country must pass through
what is known as "horse quarantine"
under the watchful eye of veter-
inaiy attached to the department OF |
agriculture. So much care is exer- |
cised that it is estimated that not /
more than one horse in hundred /
dies from the effects of an ocean
voyage. The attendants on these
"horse ships" say that they have
never seen a thoroughbred suffer
from seasickness.