The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-02-17
TRAINING HORSES
FOR CAVALRY USE
Newest RemOunt Depot Has Sys-
tenn Of Gentleness for Making
Best War Chargers.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Janu-
ary 25.-rhe old Fort Reno military
reservation OF ten thousand acres has
become an oven livelier place than it
was when soldiers were drilled there.
The United States Army remount depot,
established shortly after the post was
abandoned for garrison purposes, has
grown to be an establishment Of great
size and Of much Importance to all de-
partments of army service in which
horses are used.
The Fort Reno reservation is mostly
pasture land and well adapted for the
comfort and training Of horses. Capt.
Letcher Hardeman, Eleventh United
States Cavalry, in command of the de-
pot since its organization, is constantly
and laboriously employed in all the du-
ties Of managing big horse ranch. The
depot now has quarters for thirteen
hundred horses. There are sixteen pas
lures of 160 acres each, provided with
windmills, wells and shelters, each shell
ter large enough for a hundred horses.
Scattered over the reservation are hay
sheds 250 feet long and 40 feet wide
with a total capacity of six million tons
of hay, about years supply for the
depot. The government has built one
of the largest and most modern veteri-
nary hospitals in the United States, in
charge of DR.. C. E. Brown, of the quar-
termaster s department. There is hos
pital for the small army of civilian en-
ployes and living quarters for them.
The depot is an experiment Of the war
department, largely at the suggestion
of Gen. J. B. Aleshire, quartermaster-
general and is intended to increase the
usefulness and length of service of the
army horse. Since the first horses were
received in July, 1909, more than 100
have been trained and sent to the differ
i ent branches of service. One of the
first requests from Washington was for
a horse for the personal use of President
Taft, one that could be ridden or driv-
en-. A big Missouri horse was sent to
the White House stables and showed
such desirable traits that several months
ago request was made for a second
horse for the President. Missouri again
provided a horse, bay sixteen hands
high and weighing 1920 pounds. The
horse is saddle and trotting bred and is
good single footer.
For their personal use more than a
hundred army officers have had Captain
Hardeman choose and train horses for
them. Several of the officers have TAX
en- valuable prizes at horse shows with
horses trained at the remOunt depot.
Twelve horses were shipped lately to
Puerto Rico for use by departmental
messengers.
i First Remount Depot.
In establishing the remodnt depot, the
first in the history of the United States
War Department, it was intended that
there should be saving in the expense
of horses for the army. In other days
most army horses were seven or eight
years old when purchased, the owner,
usually farmer, having broken the
horse at four years and then got four
years of good service out of him. The
average length of army service of such
horses was about eight years. Captain
Hardeman estimates that the length of
service of an army horse is increased by
fifty per cent if his service begins when
he is not more than four years old.
For that reason horses not more than
three years old are brought for training
at the remount depot, whenever possi-
BILE. Preferably the horse should be un-
broken, as the method of training soon
gentles an untamed horse, while ii is
difficult to remove the defects in the
training of horse broken in cowboy
fashion if the horse has developed vi
eious and dangerous traits.
"Horses show the same peeuliarities
of temperament and manner as men and
women, - said Captain Hardeman, "and
in training horses the mistake of be-
lieving that a horse is a horse should
never be made. Gentleness and kind
ness and hrmness are the foundation
for the successful training of horse.
Gentle horses are made just as gentle
women and gentle men are made. Bru-
tality and the striking of fear into
horse are often his ruin.'
His freekled face was red from sun
and wind and he came into Captain
Hardeman g Office wearing high heeled
boots, big spurs and trousers that fitted
him like sausage skins. His legs were
shaped like a bow and his toes turned
in. He was looking for a job as rider.
cap" began this caliperlike person,
edo you want 10 hire n 'peelerf
kin ride anything with hair on IL and
never pull leather"
eve never have any use of 'PeeleTs'
here, - replied Captain Hardeman. sfWe
hire horse trainers sometimes, but we
now have all we need.n
This conversation briefly tells what
kind of trainers are employed at the
remount depot A young horse never
has a saddle on his back until he Is so
gentle that man could lie down on his
back and 60 10 sleep. The trainer be-
gins by fondling bis horse. rubbing his
nose and progressing by degrees until
be can pick 4 e0eklebnr out Of bis
horse p feiloek without causing the least
fear or alarm 10 bis horse.
Then some fine day q blanket q
gllihed on the horses back and tho
halter passed 10 3 rider ou 4 Ranile
horse. fho trainer mounts 10 give bis
/ hnfaa Lila frat fofaan la haInn ridden