Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-09-27
HORSE SUPPLY GETTING LOW
Demand for European Conflict is
Using Thousands of Animals.
RELATED TO BRITISH TYPES
Practically All of the ssddIers In
FiEht Arc OffsprinEs from Eng
lish Breeding at some Pre-
vious Time.

L
European war has already made itself felt
on thoroughbred horses abroad IN view
OF the fact that government agents OF
| Canada. England and France have seized
many horses for cavalry and artillery
/ purposes. Horsemen, not only In this
country, but all over the world, arc
alarmed over the conditions for the single
reason that the meager supply will soon
he exhausted. The great authority Of
England and France, "Boulanger" has
written an interesting article on the thor.
oughbred situation. He says
I'VE race horses for the sake Of breed
ing. but we do not breed horses for the
sake Of racing. OF the many things said
and written in these days. this Is one OF
the truest. and, indeed. he must be a
biased man who does not admit IT, Too
many faddists are getting a hearing at
| the present moment, but while In times
Of peace strenuous efforts have often had
TO be made TO silence the crowd who decry
| racing as a menace TO the economical and
moral welfare OF the people II should not
be a very difficult task to prove they
are in error when the warhorse of the
various nations. which has 30 vastly been
improved during modern times. In put TO
it's severest and possibly. decisive test
Opposition against a speedy resumption
Of racing denotes a painful ignorance with
regard 10 all the vital points OF horse
breeding generally, and in particular OF
the cult ofthe noble horse.
Related 60 British Thoroughbred.
Nobody can accuse me of being pos
sessed Of a too vivid imagination II
declare that there is not single horse
on the battlefields which comes withis
the range OF army remounts that In par
entage or ancestry. is not related to the
British thoroughbred. had in my time
many an occasion to inspect registers of
fiscal and private half-bred studs and
am certain that II I compiled a list Of
British breeders mentioned In these
could get complete directory of English
and Irish breeders which one would have
some difficulty to obtain by the usual
means.
1T Is perfectly true to say that for
the first time in British history the Eng
lish soldier Is to become aware OF the ef-
ficiency of THAT essential weapon which
has been produced and raised on the soil
| OF his motherland, viz, his mount, and
being, | am almost inclined to say, an
instructive connoisseur OF horseflesh, we
/ shall probably have to listen to lucid de-
| scrlptions OF the French army horses,
which, for my part, I consider the most
| efficient means of offense TO be en-
ployed In this disastrous war. Thoughts
OF this kind induced me TO observe, in
my article in the Sporting Life of August
II that the establishment OF fiscal studs
In England on continental lines can be a
matter of time only. II is certain to
come, since the government Ia now OBJ
tanning the first practical conception of
the immense value OF a uniform type Of
army horse, and in future. therefore, lend
willing ear TO those whom they thought
to be pleading for a wrong and impossible
cause. l am highly pleased TO note that
an esteemed confrcre has been encour-
aged by this comment of mine TO discuss
this important subject from the proper
English point of view. and versatile and
impulsive as he Is. he should not fail to
strike a suitable scheme with view to
encourage the government to at once take
the necessary steps.
Good Animals Hard 20 Get.
"only a few days ago chatted about
these matters with a prominent English
breeder who was commissioned to buy
| horses for the war office and he alluded
to tho great difficulty in procuring the
proper material OF course, there are
heaps OF splendid hunters and hacks TO
be got, but they are not used TO army
routine which is so vastly different from
and much more strenuous than daily
work over country. Only the dire need
for horses for military purposes can JUS
| tify the enormous capital outlay con-
nected with this item of the mobilization.
II has certainly cost more than the main
| tenanee of fiscal studs would have re-
! quired. yet this sort of remounting can
never serve Its purpose, since uniformity
in type of the army horse as a whole and
not supreme Individual merits on the part
OF a few among them is It's chief asset,
A squadron OF lancers mounted on 1872
hands hunters and l5-hands hacks cannot
| possibly attack In straight and close lines,
and. instead OF overriding a column OF in
fantry. they would soon be all over the
ground, and seriously handicapped in the
proper use OF the rifle, would be made
prisoners or shot without difficulty"