Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-09-13
NEED OF ARMY HORSES
Farmers to Be Encouraged to
Raise Them.
NOT ENOUGH GOOD STEE0s.
Military Officers Recommend the Es-
tablishment Of Remount Station
Near Newport, ky.-Al the Horses
Will Be Trained For Service.

Officers at Fort Thomas have recon-
mended the site Of the old government
rife range, on the Licking river, back
OF Newport, Ky, as Il desirable loca-
ton for one of the six remount sta
tions that will shortly be established
by the war department to furnish
horses for the United States army,
says the Cincinnati Commercial Trb-
une
1t is the intention of the war depart
ment to raise all horses that are to be
used in the future by the cavalry, ar
tillery and infantry divisions of the
army as well AS mules for the quarter
master and commissary departments.
At the present time great difficulty is
encountered 10 supply enough good
horses for the army. Agents of the war
department scour the country regions
and buy up all desirable horses.
During the recent Japanese war talk
that the United States could not prop
erly mount the different branches of
the service. as there are barely enough
desirabl horses on the market to sup
ply the present standing army of Co.
900. 1t would be a difficult problem to
secure horses for additional troops.
At the present time the army buys
1900 horses every year. The average
cavalry or artillery horse lasts five
years, while those in the infantry
branch, which are used by the officers,
last about seven years. Every horse
used by the army has to be replaced
every Ave years.
1t is the inIntion Of the war de-
partment to divide the country into
geographical sections. Remount sta
tions, where horses will be raised and
trained for the service. will be estab-
llshed at the Newport rife range.
which Is considered the best point in
Kentucky to raise horses; Springfield,
O.; Fort Riley, Kan; the Montana cat
tie ranges, in the California foothills
and Fort Reno, Okla.
The recent establishment of re-
the German government has opened
the eyes of army officers to the advan-
tages Of the remount system. 1t has
long been recognized that American
horses are the best in the world for
army purposes, and it is the intention
of the German government to intro
duce them for use in the kaiser's
army. German horses will be import
ed into America and sent to Lexington,
where they will be crossed with Amer
ican horses. 1t is hoped that better
horses will be available for use Of the
German troops.
In the geographical divisions of the
remount station men will tour the adj
jacent farming region to buy up the
best horses. A horse census will be
taken by the government, which will
show how many and what kind of
horses can be used by the army in case
of war.
All horses brought to the various
remOunt stations will be trained for
service. They will be put through
evolutions that will make them useful
as soon as they are received at an
army post. At the present time green
horses are sent to the different posts
for development.
The system of remount stations will
put an end to this practice, which has
been the source of considerable annoy
ance, as many Of the horses have been
found worthless after efforts to train
them. Every horse that leaves a re-
mount station will be thoroughly test
ed
Farmers will be encouraged to raise
horses for the army, as the govern
ment will purchase horses at oil times
without making the farmers wait, as
is the present custom, until the army
needs them.
The Newport rifle range is recon-
mended because Cincinnati Is good
horse and mule market, and it is the
idea Of the government to have agents
watch the market for desirable steeds.
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