The Washington herald., 1911-12-31
TROTTER AND PAGER
New Year Promises to Be an Epentful One in
Light Harness CircLes-Other Comment -
of Interest to HorSen1en.
BY l.. ID. SALE.

Is OIL d hGd4lus DoS4o' AAO Viva
ized world is calling for horses Of GER
tain types, and they are not numerous
enough to supply the demand. Chief of
Staff Gen. Leonard Wood has recently
said in the public prints that IL war
should suddenly occur 1t would be i'm
possible to supply the demands for horses
in the cavalry and artillery and the
Federal government is urged by him to
embark in the business OF breeding
horses for the army, as is done by all
the government of Europe. But one type
of horse is fitted for the uses OF the
army in this country, and that is the
horse known throughout the world as
the American trotter.
Gen. Wood deplores the fact that so
many thoroughbreds are leaving the
States for export abroad. 1t is to be
regretted that such is the case, because
we need all the good blood in the coun-
try that can he had. But the General
seems to forget that the American trOt-
ter of to-day carries large infusion OF
thoroughbrcd blood and a sufficient infu-
sion to enable him TO so long distances,
and, at the same time, haul big LOADS
and carry weight. The American trOtter
of to-day is handsome enough for Off
GERS mounts, and when his blood is up
ne does not boil over and become in
tractible His endurance and gameness
are beyond question; our system of rae
ing has made Of him a horse fitted for
all kinds Of hardships.
Thus far the United States government
has not been fortunate in its breeding
ventures. Some six or seven years ago
the government began the experiment of
breeding horses for army use in the
Philippines. Thoroughbred and Arab
stations were purchased and crossed on
Spanish mares. The venture has. we
learn, not proved to he one Of success,
probably because those having the
project in hand were not fitted for the
task. Not every man who has tn" am
hitiOn TO breed horses is fitted for the
work. One can pick out scores of men
fitted to be bankers, merchants. and pro-
fessional men where one cannot select
one man out of ten thousand fitted TO
cope with the complex problem of breed
ing out Of the hundreds Of men VIII"
pose as breeders of the American trotler
one can count almost on the fingers of
his two hands those who have command
ed success.
\ government breeding stud must nee
essarily he under the administration Of
the Agricultural or the War Department.
Aside from Gen. Clarence Edwards, what
officer is there in the army of the United
States who hIs paid more than casual
attention 10 the breeding problem? For
tunatcly for Gen. Edwards. he is the son
Of his father. the late COL William Ed
wards. of Cleveland. Ohio. a horseman
Of large experience and successful
breeder. Gen. Edwards. his son, was a
horseman before he became an army
officer, and although his time since his
graduation from the West Point Mill
tary Academy has been taken up with
his military duties. he has given some
thought to breeding Problems because
he dearly loves a well-bred horse.
Under any conditions. A government
stud must necessarily prove a costly eX-
pertinent. The details would. necessarily,
be left to mon OF more or less ineXperi-
encc. and it is not at all likely that men
could he found fitted for the task who
would care to give their time for the
salary the government would he willing
to pay for their services Would it not
he far more economical, under the cir
Cumstances, for the government to raise
its limit Of price on the horses ii re-
Quires and thus stimulate individual en-
terpriSe into producing such types as it
needs for its service?
It is notorious in horse circles that the
government is handicapped in many
ways under present conditions. Under
the present limit of price, horses that
meet government tests are scarce. Men
who breed hish-Class horses cannot af-
ford to sell for the prices offered. owing
to the high price of grain and hay. Any
one who il a judge Of a horse can
see at a glance that the horses now in
use in the cavalry of the United States
are a coarse bred lot and. consequently,
unfit for the service required of them.
Letter prices will produce a better quail
ity of mounts, and better mounts mean.
in the end, economy to the government.
George NJ. ROmmelI, Chief of the Divi-
sion of Animal Industry Of the Agricul-
tural Department. has recently contrib
uted a very important article on the
subject at issue.
Were the government to embark in the
business Of breeding cavalry mounts I'M
questIonably his views on the subject
would carry great weight In the article
referred to Mr.. Rommell sustains Gen.
Wood in the latter's belief that army re-
mounts are in need of a larger infusion
CT thoroughbred blood than they now
have. Our contention is that if the
United States government will pay the
price high-Class orses are worth, It will
get all the thoroughbred blood needed
in the modern American light-harness
horse. A brief history Of that horse will
prove our contention. The progenitor of
the American trotteT was an English
He was called Messenger.
and is known in American stud books as
imported Messenger. His sire was Nam
brino, son of Engineer. he by Sampson.
he by Blaze, he by Flying ChIlders, and
he by the Darley Arabian. Messengers
dam was by Turf. he by Matchen, son of
Cadey. by the Godolphin Arabian. Mes
seuger's granddam also traced to the
Godolphin Arabian. AS a matter OF fact,
imported Messenger carried three crosses
of Godolphin Arabian and five crosses of
Byerly Turk. and all, or nearly all, Of
his immediate ancestors were either barb
mares or barb stations.
Imported Messenger was foaled in 1850
and imported 10 this country in I7SS
landing in Philadelphia in May A large
number of his sons stood for service in
various parts Of the East, and left their
Impress upon the stock of the Atlantic
coast. II remained, however, for one
Bcn to leave a deeper and more lasting
Impress upon the horsekind of the United
States than all OF his other sons COM
bined. This son is known as Mambrino,
y bright bay horse, with a star and one
white anckle, and who stood sixteen
hands high. He was foaled in 1907 and
died about 1851. During his lifetime he
stood on Long Island and In the counties
bordering on the Hudson River. His
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