The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-09-08
TIE IDEAL CARRIAGE HORSE.

Colorado few months ago ne callee
attention to the Importance of thu
Government horse breeding station
at Fort Collins. Here, under th'
direction of Dean w. L. Carlyle, o
the Colorado State Agricultural Col
ledge at Fort Collins, experiment.
are in progress by which the Govern
ment hopes to develop the idea
American carriage horse.
The stallion Carmon, formerly
Thomas w. Lawson's Gloriou:
Thundercloud, has been selected a.
the head of the stud. This horse
was chosen, by a committee of ex
perts as being the nearest of any oi
those examined to the ideal type oi
horse which it is proposed to develop.
There are nineteen mares, all oi
high breeding, and it is hoped, by
proper care and selection, to develop
a horse that will be typically Ameri.
can and will have all the attributes
of action, style, in rest, endurance,
lung capacity and power.
The horse breeding experiment
station has been established about a
year and half. There are thirteen
colts running about the great pasture
and these show all the markings and
characteristics of the highly bred
horses. 1t is not expected to develop
the ideal American horse at once,
however. If a satisfactory type is
developed in twenty years, or in the
course of a generation, those in
charge of the experiment will be
satisfied.
A. u. Melvin, chief of the Bureau
of Animal Industry at Washington,
has been in touch with the work
from the outset. Prof. Carlyle, who
is in charge of the work, is now in
Europe, studying types of horses and
seeking information that can be ap-
piled to the work at Fort Collins.
He has the assistance of Prof. Wal
ter H. Oline, professor of agronomy
at Fort Collins, and of James Hutton,
who is in charge of the stud.
The selection of Fort Collins as
the scene of the experiment was
made because Of the theory that the
plains of Colorado, stretching east
from the Rocky mountains, formed
the natural home of the horse in
this country. Not only does the
dry, crisp air at the Colorado alti-
tudes give horses great lung capacity
and power, but the absence Of moist
ness tends to make a more solid bone
formation.
The cow ponies of the Western
range are the hardest of their size in
the world. Their great lung capa-
city and their solid bones combine to
make them ideal for endurance.
They are chosen above all others for
the game of polo, which requires a
high degree of the qualities men,
toned.
The mares and colts at Fort Col
lins have the freedom of a $40 acre
pasture, which contains small lake,
fed by spring of pure water. This
pasture contains the finest native
range grass, and there is hogback
for shelter against severe winds.
There is an exercising track in
front, where Carmon aud the rest of
the Government horses are put
through their PAGES by Mr.. Hutton.
The selection of Carmon was the
result of a search by a committee
consisting of Prof. George M. ROM
mel, OF the Bureau of Animal Indus
try, at Washington, Prof. c. F.
Curtis of Iowa, Prof. Carlyle of
Colorado and Mr.. Tichenor of Chi
cago, a horse owner. Carmon was
purchased from Mr.. Tichenor for
$1,000.
Carmon is of the Morgan strain
and is bright bay with solid black
points. He was sired by Carnegie,
dam Monitor Maid, and under the
name of Glorious Thundercloud has
captured prizes at horse shows in the
East and West. After being sold by
Mr.. Lawson the name of the stallion
was changed to Carmon.
The experts in charge Of this work
believe that it is best to develop a
strictly American carriage horse, for
the reason that foreign stock, while
excelling in conformation and action,
lacks speed, and is usually soft, with
little endurance. It would not be
desirable to import all our carriage
horses, and crossing with foreign
stock would produce a strain that
would not breed true.
The American trotter, while un
excelied for the track, has many de
fects which Prof. George M. Romme
has summarized as follows, in con
sidering them as candidates for thu
carriage: "Big heads, eve necks
bull necks, meaty shoulders, low,
long, cross coupled backs, steel
rumps, crooked hooks and plair
action"
Here is Mr.. Romme1's summary
of the ideal type of carriage hors'
which the Government proposes t
develop:
Standing 16 hands and weighing
200 pounds with full made body
clean cut, intelligent head, neatly
carried ear, full eye, wide nostril
clean cut throatlatch, neck wei
arched, muscular and ofgood length
with the windpipe clearly defined.
The neck should be smoothly join
ed to sloping shoulders, which ar
muscular without being meaty; th'
withers high and well defined. Th'
body should be roomy, with goot
spring of rib and depth of flank.
The back should be straight
strong, muscular and closely couplet
up; the loins broad, short and mus
cular; the hind quarters broad, nice
" rounded ard muscular. The tai
should be set on high and smartl,
carried.
The quarters and thighs should b
,unecr1ar and fr1l and the arms