The Washington herald., 1914-12-27
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tacle at Chelsea barracks. The guards
captured the animal in the battle of
Vittoria and adopted him as their regi-
mental pet. He went through the cam
paign with the regiment. but had two
legs broken by shot, through refusing
on one occasion to remain in the rear
when the charge was sounded, but
dashed to the front Of the galloping
horses.
At the battle Of Tel ell Kebir a private
Of an Irish regiment went into the fight
with a little black kitten concealed in
his tunic as a mascot. He came through
the battle unscathed, so that apparently
the kitten proved its worth as a luck
bringer.
But it is the horse which is. as usual,
paying the major toll OF death on the
European battlefelds.
In the eighteenth century $50 horses
fell in battle for every 100 meR; from
1900 to 1865 the proportion had fallen
to 120; and In more recent wars the
ratio has been approximately l12 horses
to 100 men. In some charges, however,
the proportion has been greater, as in
that Of the Light Brigade, in which
eighty more horses than men sacrificed
their lives.
1t probably will surprise the average
joys a battle at least as much as his
rider. and displays as much courage in
II. He will chafe and stamp with i'm
patience while waiting for the order to
charge, and at the signal will dash for
ward like a greyhound released from the
leash, full Of fire and fury. and often
neighing wildly. At the moment Of
contact with the enemy he will rear,
striking and biting savagely at the op-
posing horses and trampling down the
infantry.
When his rider falls he will dash along
with his fellows and crash as CALAMITY
into the foe. In the famous charge of
the Light Brigade scores of riderless
horses swept down the Valley Of
Death" laundering through the smoke
on to the Russian guns, and gaIloped
back to safety with the shattered rem
nant Of the Brigade. Five horses raced
neck and neck with Lord Alfred Paget,
who rode in advance of the line. so
eager were they to get at the enemy!
And not only is the well-trained
charger as brave as his rider; he is often
as intelligent. He knows the bugle
calls Just as well. and answers them as
promptly. In fact, many a horse has
put his rider right when he has mistaken
an order, and has gone faultlesly through
a maneuver in spite of the efforts of his
mistaken master to make him do the
wrong thing.
The process Of training is neither long
nor difficult The first step is to accus-
tom the horse to the sound Of firing 1t
close quarters. With this object he is
put on the ground with legs tied. and
while in this position a pistol is fired
close to his ear. over his back. between
his legs, and so on. until his fear is ever
come After a few such lessons il is
safe TO mount him with bride furnished
with a curb-bit, and under this control
he is taught to stand still while pistol
or carbine is fired from his back-the
latter naturally coming last, as both
hands are required in using this weapon.
Then follows saber-practice on similar
lines, until the horse is as Indifferent to
the whirl and flash of sword about his
head as to the explosion of carbine
above it, Within a few weeks the horse
not only loses all trace of nervousness;
he really enjoys the experience and en-
tiers enthusiastically into il. In battle
the cavalry horse faces even greater
risk of death or disablement than his
rider, altho;soh the gallant animal rarH.v
gets any of the laurels of war. 4
danger, however, is by no means -
great as it was.
Most OF the farmS s throughout the
Inlleu SlaltS, anu pa liNuiaAA - NAAc'N
tensive horse breeders in the Middle and
Far West. are being deceived in the be-
lief that the French and British armies
are laying a fat price Of $21O for
horses which comply with their specih-
cations.
No such price has been, is being or
will be paid, according to a man who
has made a business of supplying bel
ligerent nations with the munitions OF
war for many years. He has closed con-
tracts with French and British agents
for 100, 900 head of horses, but he has
no idea of delivering them until next
spring, or later.
Those governments are paying from
Sl6O to $40 for horses that will stand
the test for cavalry and artillery service.
That is the price paid to the farmer or
breeder. the contractor and the foreign
governments sharing in the expense or
1eliS ering the animals at the seat OF
war II is expected that each horse will
cost the governments an average OF 81 y
by the time he reaches the line of battle.
Farmers and breeders have been led
TO believe that they would be offered
500 each for their horses. Preliminars
INQUIRIES by purchasing agents have re-
suited in the information that the farm
srs and breeders are holding their horses
1t that figure, while before the war the
same animals sold freely in the open
market at 500 to $3.50.
Unless the farmers OF the United
States consent to sell their horses at
$3.50 to sl70 the French and the British
will go to South America for animals.
This determination was reached in New
York city when purchasing agents
earned that the United States breeders
and farmers had placed, perhaps through
4 misunderstanding. a prohibitiVe price
lpon their horses.