The record., 1918-08-08

cf hcrsirg Uncle Sans troopers is one
CT tic problems CT the Cay. Il IS not
alone q matter Of supplying sufficient
number OF rc-1ouGts for the cavalry
arm o. the service for present day
needs. The question Of a reserve Of
the proper type for the future bulks
large in the foreground. Col. John S.
Fair OF the Quartermaster Corps has
this most important work in hand for
the Federal Government. Col. Fair is
in intimate touch with horse condi-
tionS throughout the United States,
and no man speaks with greater knOW1-
edge Of the country's needs in the mat-
fer of riding horse type. He realizes
that it is from the quick active fami-
lies of which the Thoroughbred stand
ard bred ard Morgan are representa-
tiye3, that the remount supply must be-
drawn. Col. Fairs plea for an aCce,er-
ated campaign Of remount production
should carry weight with breeders in
every part of the Union and make
them eager to assist the Government
81 think" said he today, that We
were all beGuiled into a feeling of Sc
curity by the census CT 1910, which an
n0unced that there were 22,009,000
horses in the United States. 1t was
not until we were at war ourselves
that the fact struck home that a very
large proportion of these were draught
breeds and that cavalry remount ma
terial was exceedingly scarce. Trans
port ana gun horses We have in abund-
ancc. >anks to the importation Of
Percheron and other draught breeds,
but in the matter Of the riding horse,
aim!css and Durpose!ess breeding ous"
side Of few regions has reduced Guy
standard to mediocrity. There has not
been that systematic effort III horse
production which is q feature of tina
economic Development Of most foreign
governments, notably that OF France
which is generally recognized as a
model for the world. The only helpful
influence | know of that has been con
stant is that exercised by the breed
ing bureau Of the Jockey Club in New
York State and a similar organization
on more restricted lines IN Kentucky.
The only light horse families re-
sumed Col. Fair, that have been pro
duced systematically III the United
States for a specific purpose. are the
thoroughbred Or standard bred trotter,
and these have been developed fer rae
ing purposes. It is fortunate for this
country that this should have been
done, as these animals furnish an ad-
mira b!e foundation upon which to
build our var horse structure. Both
have been brought to their high state
of perfection through breeding and
racing tests, and in the process OF evo-
-l,stin1.- through which they have passed
the weak haye fallen by the way side.
Nature in every breeding venture
gives q certain proportion OF failures.
These tria,3 CT speed have developed
the heart and lung power Of the ami
mails taking part in them. We will
therefore not have TO breal those quail
tiles into the filing horse Of the future
il we follow the linas which success
! has blaZed for cur guidance. ! am
therefore greatly il favor Of the breed
| ing activities for the production OF thg
! Thoroughbred, as this is the line upon
which we nope to build type Of cav
| airy horse.
"Of the foreign nations now at
war" resumed Col. Fair, England was
| the only country that had not well
grounded plan for cavalry remount pro
| duction Her troopers were horsed
| largely from the racecoHrse and the
hunting field, and these furnished the
| 10000 head in the emergency follow.
| Ing the mobilization. Today through
the generosity of Col. Hall Walker she
| has her own breeding studs under the
| control Of an expert and British Off
| Ger told me- few days ago that the
work was progressing famously,
| The Race Course the Indispensable
Test.
| The sires which are expected to
| keep up the high standard Of excel
| lcnce must prove their right to repro
| duce themselves. They are tested for
i speed, courage, soundness and bottom
| This ia the same method which is in
vogue In France and other Continental
| countries.
There seems to be an idea IN some
portions of the United States that
mares can not be worked prior to
| motherhood and for some time after
! the fOals have been born. Visitors tG
france and rural England find colts
| following their dams about the fields
as the matrons help to till the soil Oh
garner the harvest. Moderate work is
beneficial fer mother and efispFing.
another matter urp1 which tag
farmer should be enlightened is thai
! breeding operations may be carried
into tl;e autumn, when most of the
years wGrK i2mg been concluded. II
mother and ioal are gEall nurtured and
warmly housed growth viii be rapid
! sQd in some instances as yearlings
there will be little difference between
late and early foals.. When our cav
airy regiments return from overseas
they will have to be rehorsed.
4 Patriotic Enterprise.
THE breeding OF cavalry remounts
therefore, is a matter Of patriotic en-
deavof, and every man who has a mare
t Of the proper type should regard it as
q dalty to mate her this year l under
stand that the New York State Con
stabulary is doing yeoman- sarrice:.n
tt,is, respect and that horse breeding
In the Empire State has been sreatl}
stimulated through st4 eb-opetatton
With the farmers. = ., (, rs ii
early in the war when Russia made