The Republican journal., 1907-08-15
AMERICAN CARRIAGE HORSE.
Movement Begun to Develop a Distinct
Type.

Movement Begun to Develop Distinct
Type.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 10. The ideal
American carriage horse should be not
less than fifteen hands high and have
smooth, compact and symmetrical con-
formation. His neck ought to be of
good length and naturally inclined to
arch. He should have sloping shoul-
ders. His legs should be of medium
length and we'll set, with sloping pas
terms and good feet. His back should
be good and strong.
These qualities have been agreed up
on by a committee representing the
Department of Agriculture and the
American Association of Trotting Horse
Breeders as requisite for the best car
riage horse. A classification for the
American carriage horse was worked
out by the committee on heavy harness
horses for the association and was ap-
proved last May.
The committee was organized to rep
resent the Department of Agriculture,
the American Trotting Register Asso-
citation, the American Saddle Horse
Breeders Association and the American
Morgan Register Association. The
mcLu UclS VI IuC COumll0co Wclc uCoIBo
M. Romme of the Bureau of Animal
Industry, chairman; Joseph Battell of
Middlebury, VT, registrar of the Amer
lean Morgan Register Association; Gen.
John T. Castleman of Louisville, KY,
president of the American Saddle Horse
Breeders Association; A. T. Cole of
Wheaton, ILL.,, breeder of carriage
horses; Prof. Charles f. Curtiss, di!!
rector of the Iowa Agricultural Expert
ment Station at Ames, and H. K. Dew
ereux of Cleveland, Ohio, secretary of
the American Association of Trottii,g
Horse Breeders.
AS soon as the classification was
adopted by the committee notice was
sent to State and national fairs with a
view to the establishment of classes for
carriage horses at the various fairs and
expositions. The new classification
was well received. Two fairs, the In
terstate Fair at Kansas City and the
Kansas State Fair at Hutchinson, have
! adopted it for this year, and several
other fairs announced willingness to
adopt the classification in 1908.
| The sentiment for the development
, of characteristic type of carriage
horse has grown rapidly, and on their
own initiative the Iowa State Fair at
Des Moines, the Kentucky State Fair
at Louisville and the Blue Grass Fair
at Lexington, KY, have offered prizes
for this season for the best American
carriage horses. The classifcations
adopted by these fairs are similar in
the main, but many minor differences
exist, which the Agricultural Depart
ment desires to harmonic.
A uniform, systematic and practical
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of fairs in general is possibility and
billions. If the horses shown under
these conditions are Judged by capable
men uniform type can be fixed def
nitely and rapidly, it is asserted.
The adoption of the classification by
State fairs is especially urged by the
Agricultural Department for the rea-
son that they are in the closest touch
with farmers, that the farmers are the
breeders of most of the carriage horses
sold on the American markets and that
| the value of the American horse for
carriage purposes is rarely appreciated
by the farmers who breed them. Hun
dreds of horses are sold annually by
farmers at insignificant prices, which
after some months of finishing and
handling are sold as carriage horses at
prices up into the thousands.
/ Furthermore, there is continual sale
of stations to supply this trade. These
horses are usually of only moderate
value as speed producers, but are of
excellent carriage type. They could be
of inestimable value as foundation sires
of the American carriage horse.
The classification for American car
riage horses adopted by the Bureau of
Animal Industry and the horse breed
ers contains the following classes: Glass
l. Stallion four years old or over. Glass
2. Stallion three years old and under
four. Glass g. Stallion two years old and
under three. Glass T. Stallion one year
old and under two. Glass 5. Stallion
with three of his get of either sex; get
need not be owned by exhibitor. Class
6. Mare four years old and over Glass
I. Mare three years old and under four.
Glass s. Mare two years old and under
three. Glass 9. Mare one year old and
under two. Glass 10. Mare and foal of
either sex. Glass II. Foal under one
year old, either sex.
| The conditions governing the entries
to these classes are stringent. The
classes are open only to horses of
American blood. Stations in the first
five classes must be registered in the
American Trotting Register as stand
ard, in the American Morgan Register
! or in the American Saddle Horse
Register, and certificate of such
. registry must be shown in the ring, if
required.
Entries in all classes for mares, en-
] tries as get of sire in class five and pro-
duce of mare in class ten, and entries
in class eleven, must BE- sired by stall
lion registered in the above lists, but
the dams of such entries need not be
registered mares. The breeding of
(! dams, as far as known, must be given
when entry is made. No mare having
any draught cross will be eligible. ANY
| exhibitor classifying the breeding of en-
; tries will be barred, and entries in all
classes must be practically sound.
The judging will be based on confor-
nation, style, action and manners as a
suitable type of carriage horse. Special
attention will be given to trueness of
action, and good knee and hook move
ment are desirable.
All the entries should be made to trot
and walk straight and true, and judges
are warned to avoid all horses showing
any tendency to mix gaits, paddle
in front, or sprawl behind. In most
| classes general conformation and all
round suitability as carriage horse