New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-22
ON RAW CAVALRY HORSES.
Recruits Sometimes "Broken" Be
fore Steeds Are Broken.

The Military Steeplechase, which is to be run
under the auspices of the United Hunts Racing
Association at Morris Park October % and
%, and for which entries have been received
from the 18th Cavalry. United States Army, will
be of especial interest to cavalry officers of the
army. This meet is said to be the first time
that the War Department has officially approved
and encouraged the object of steeplechasng-
namely, the encouragement of the breeding of
type of horse suitable for cavalry purposes.
Many American cavalry officers have wanted
the government to supervise the breeding Of
lorses suitable for use in the cavalry, as is done
by some European governments. The United
States buys its horses by contract, the lowest
bidder receiving the contract.
Colonel John B. Kerr, commander Of the 18th
Cavalry and member of the General Staff,
stationed at Governors Island, expressed the
feeling of some of these officers the other day
when he said:
The trouble is that we buy our horses by
contract at the lowest price, paying $40 or , loH
for them. What can you get for $50 or 800?
In France the horses are partly thoroughbred.
because the government furnishes the horse
raiseTs with stations at nominal figure. Then
it buys the colts before they broken and
before there is a market for them. In this way
they get good horses at a comparatively low
price. We allow other countries to come here
to buy, and deplete stock OF available
horses. We demand that the contractors furnish
buy animals at their most marketable age and
consequently pay high prices for what we get
The green American cavalry horse furnishes
problem. He may be wild horse from the
plains practically unbroken OF he may be q
staid animal. reared an Eastern farm. The
problem is to bring each horse to the same
standard of gait and general department and
TO keep a recruit, who never sat upon horse
until after he left store counter, on the animal
This is a long, tedious task which often taxes
the patience of the veteran sergeant.
1t has been said that more care Is exercised In
nic<ing the mount than the recruit who is to
sit upon him Notwithstanding the care which
is used however, the government often finds
that the horse which ridden before the
officers eyes when brought out on the field for
accordance really is not broken Many Of the
range horses of the plains are bought. Until
short time before the purchase these were run
Ving wild on the ranges, knowing not the re-
straining hand of man. Just before they were
offered to the government they were taken In
hand by trained bronco busters" When the
day OF testing came the cowboy rode up and
down on the whilom wild horse before the board
To all appearances the why animal was broken.
Not infrsquently the recruit is broken" in a
painfully literal manner before the horse is
broken. Captain Johnston, of the 18th Cavalry,
stationed at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont, one of
the important cavalry posts in the United States,
said recently that he had had many five
broken" in his command at one time.
They were suffering from scalp wounds and
cracked bones. The Course of training which
produces a dOcile animal that be depended
upon to do the ri-ht thing at the right moment
with hardly a word OF command is a long one
The task is accomplished. in the case Of the
raw recruit himself only by laying line upon
linz 10 dow
horse and his rider, has become proficient and
\ part OF the machine working in harmony with
the rest. Some Of the horses-as also is true
of SOM OF the recruitS-neVer become service
able They haven't it in them. The horse may
be a single fOoteF q persistent fox trotter. He
will not make good cavalry horse. The good
horsc must have the capacity to adapt himself
to the fast walk and the tfot. which are the
Eaits OF the cavalry Otherwise he would give
the troop a bad appearance and break up the
alignment 1t is possible that the horse viii