The Washington herald., 1911-01-08
By L. d. SALE.

ny L. IL SAAEIs
Let US hope for better days. Those of
the past six weeks have been too strenu-
ous for even the most enthusiastic horse
man. Between snow and ice and ice and
snow, few men who care for the safety
OF their horses have dared to venture
out.
Despairing of better driving weather in
the near future. number Of horse own
ers have placed their charges in winter
quarters. Unless February should prove
to be an unusually stormy month horses
that are now turned out will be brought
In and hardened up for the matinee
events to be pulled of over the new
Speedway in April. 1t is intended by the
Drivers and Riders Association to hold
the first matinee of the spring series
about April Is and to thereafter hold not
less than two matinees each month until
August at least.
The cry Of a horse famine is going up
all over the country and this in spite of
the fact that the demand for automo-
biles is, if anything. more insistent than
at any time since their manufacture be-
gan. Five years ago the United States
government was able to purchase cavalry
hoEses for SIS per head; to-day the gov
ernment finds it difficult to get the prop
er mounts for $175. and it is quite prob
able that six months hence the price will
be- 500 for horses fit for the purpose for
which they are wanted
There has been some discussion Of late
on the part of the War Department Off
cials to establish breeding farm. or
government stud. not far from this city
and enter into the breeding of horses for
the cavalry. artillery service, and for the
use of officers. Two points are being
discussed. Front Royal, at the mouth of
the Luray Valley. in Virginia, and Berry
vile. which is located a few miles below
Front Royal. Both points lie in the blue
grass region of Virginia and at the foot
Of the Blue Ridge.
The consumption of cavalry mounts IN
the Philippine Islands is something fierce.
owing to climatic conditions. Upward Of
. per cent of American horses taken to
the islands die the first year. To obviate
this our government about five years ago
at an immense cost attempted the ex-
pertinent of establishing a breeding stud
in the Philippines for the purpose of fur
nishing mounts for officers and for use
in the cavalry. A few stations of Arab
ian blood were purchased also a number
of thoroughbred stations, which were
mostly imported to the islands from
Kentucky. In a recent talk with Clar-
ence Edwards. head of the Insular Bu-
reau. on the subject. it appears that the
scheme has not worked out as we'll as
was anticipated. owing to the inexperi-
ence of those having the matter in
charge.
1t appears. according to Gen. Edwards
that the plan conceived by him was that
the mating of American thoroughbred
stations and stations of Arabian blood
on the native mares would produce when
properly bred up an ideal officers mount
at least.
AS is we'll known to those who have
studied the subject. the horse found in
the Philippines by the American army
carried quite a good deal of Spanish; in
ti-ely of Spanish ancestry. because when
Spain conquered the Philippines there
were no horses on the islands. The
Spanish horse is a cross between the
native horse and the Moorish barb. The
Moorish barb is cross between the
Arabian and the Moorish horse. But
long before the Moors conquered Spain
that country had mixed her native breeds
with the Arabian, so that the MoOrs only
already in existence in Spain.
The wild horses that were roaming at
large on our plains no later than three
quarters Of century ago were the de-
cendants of the Spanish horse.
While there appears to be decided in
crease of demand for horses bred in this
country for industrial purposes. there is
an overpIus Of Thoroughbred horses, owing
to the stringent laws recently passed by
the legislatures of the various States
against bookmaking. A hope exists
among those who formerly welded the
slate and pencil that the old days will re-
turn: that after many days the pendu-
lum will swing backward. 1t may. but it
is doubtful. Aside from the moral ques-
ton as to whether gambling is Il good
tking to encourage. it must be conceded
by every fair-minded man that the book
maker had altogether the best of it.
In the Paris mutual system the spccu-
lator fares much better. 1t was tried sue
in Louisville last spring. and it
was tried for a brief season at Latonia.
1t did not suit the bookmakers, of course.
at that particular track, and nothing
ever will satisfy a bookmaker unless he
sees his way to get lions share 1t
was inordinate greed that worked his
downfall and which has given almost a
death blow to the thoroughbred industry
in this country.
1t has already been proven that there
Is q horse famine in the country. and by
the same token 1t would be easy to prove.
that there is no other industry connected
with agriculture more profitable than the
breeding of the right type Of horse-the
horse the public wants. Up to three
years Of age the cost of raising a foal is.
q steer of the same age. In the final
analysis. when the animal is taken to
the market, the foal outsells the steer.
He who imasines that the machine will
ever drive certain types Of horse from
the markets of the world has sadly mis-
taken his guess. 1t is safe to predict
now that within the next five years the
demand for good-colored gOod-mannered.
and stylish carriage horses will have in
creased fourfold: that the very rich
will use machines for long and quick
trips. and that the moderate rich will
use the horse instead of the machine.
But whether this be true or not, the
horse will have his place in the econo-
mics OF life. as he has for centuries, and
L may safely be assumed that those who
predict otherwise are simply the type of
men and women who delight In iridiscent
1reams
A recent trip through the horse mar
kets Of Washinsto1 disclosed the fact
hat almost any kind Of what Is known
N horse marts as secondhand" horses
IRE bringing all the way from SIS to 800.
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