The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-15

to come, in spite of Hague peace con-
ferences, she necessarily will devour
horsefesh by the millions every year.
and there is no immediate promise that
she can supply the demand.
The most important expectation that
has recently been made is that of Jay
McGregor, 2:07 81 sire of four 2:l0 trot-
tiers, and fifteen new standard perform
ers. Baden. 2:O5 IA. who accompanied
him to Russia. is an untried sire. II is
too early to estimate his loss TO Amerl-
can breeding interests. It does not fol-
low because he was the biggest money
winner of 1912. or of any previous year.
that he will make good as a sire. Cres-
ceus, 2?02 IA. the champion stallion Of
his day, and We believe the greatest
trotting stallion that has ever lived. was
also exported a few years ago. None
Of his get have performed marvels on
the Russian turf. and, as far as this
country is concerned, his reputation as
a sire OF extreme speed is almost nil.
The American trotting bred horse Is
the future war horse OF the civilized
globe, fit for any service except extreme
heavy draft. As much cannot be said of
any other living type of horses He COM
bines high breeding with docility, speed,
toughness of fiber, nobility Of action,
soundness, strong constitution, and intel
ligence of the highest order. In no other
country can his type be found as pure
We shall control the market for him
as long as we refuse to part with our
broodmares. The Arabs, for ten oentur-
les. have held to this doctrine and have
preserved the purity OF the Arabian.
1t is proverbial. that while on Arab may
be induced to part with his stallion, only
in rare instances or in a case OF neces-
sity will he part with his mare or mares.
II Is a spirit worthy of emulation, and
had the vermantose only needed the
admonition. they would not now be COM
PEELED to spend millions in an endeavor
to restore the almost vanished type of
the Morgan horse.
The United States government has be-
gun in earnest to breed army mounts.
The experiment will be watched with in
terest by every one interested in the
Improvement of the breed Of tn horse
as he is found on this continent We
have hitherto expressed our views on
the subject in these columns. holding to
the belief that the government would
get what II really needs for army service |
II It would agree to pay what the animal
was really worth. 1t is the habit of
government to fix an arbitrary price, |
and in view of the fact that feed of all |
kinds has increased in value, owing to |
various causes, the sum offered has been |
too low for the breeder or seller to &C |
cept with profit. The result has been |
that our army is poorly mounted.
We have held, and still hold. that it |
would he mora economical IL the 4
ment would raise its standard of price. |
and thus stimulate private enterprise, |
than embark in breeding what II needs. |
But now that the work has begun we |
are anxious to see it go forward to ulti-
mate success. We. take 1t for granted |
that those who are charged with the |
project have in their minds eye the exact !
type of horse they wish to produce. While |
we are not familiar with that type, or
at all in touch with the views of the |
men engaged in the project, We take It |
for granted that the foundation of the /
structure is the American light harness
horse. Purchases remote and recent Of /
stations would indicate this much. We
further take it for granted that the fu-
ture army mount will carry a goodly !
of thoroughbred blood. This
we consider wise proposition.
-
1t is wise up to a certain point only.
Control is highly necessary in any army
mount. and too much hot blood is dan
gerous. A blend of the right proportions
is a delicate problem to solve. Our best |
bred light harness horses already carry
more or less Thoroughbred blood. It is
this blood, more or less remote, and not
the blood of their cold blooded ancestors,
that enables the trotter' and PAGER of
modern times to score from six to fifteen
~ rnyty, nj
race in fast time, and which, also, en-
ables him to go split heats. It Is not,
then, 50 much courage and endurance
that the modern American light harness
needs, but what is does lack for saddle
service Is the elasticity Of the thorough
bred which ~ conveyed in a large sense
through the conformation OF its pastern
joints.
This conformation and elasticity he
from his barb and full bred
Arab ancestors, and which by inhreeding
for 80 years, has become a confirmed
of the purely running bred
horse. The same results could be obtain
ed were the governments agents to use
Arab stations. No one who has not
been mounted on an Arab horse, or even
} part Arab horse, can conceive the pecu-
liar hghtness and springiness of their
gait at the trot or the gentleness of
their canter and gaIlop. Among most
modern turf writer's, prejudice existsl
against the Arabian, partly owing to ig-
norance OF the subject on which they
write. Probably IS per cent Of turf writ
srs who deride the Arabian never back
ID one, nor ever had any experience with
'ne. Probably IS per cent OF modern turf
writer's never saw an Arab horse.
49,
W.T.
The deficiencies Of the Arab horse, from
IN American viewpoint, are size and
weight. The Arab is not, and never was
! draft horse, but he Is the best weight
;arr1er for size known to man. He is dis