The New York herald., 1920-01-25
MAKING A MARKET
FOR ARMY HORSES
Fox Hunting and Steeplechasing In
duce Farmers to Breed Right
Type, Mr.. Stryker Says.

G. L. StrylSer, for twelve years cavalry
officer in the United States Army and now
master of foxhounds in the Gencssce Val.
Icy Hunt is Of opinion that the cheapest
and best way for the government to OBJ
tain cavalry mounts OF the right STAMP
and in sufficient numbers is TO pay re-
munerative prices to farmers for raising
them, ra ther than embark on any govern
ment breeding project. Make market for
Eorses OF the cavalry type and private en-
tterprise will quickly respond by supplying
the demand. is Mr.. Stryker's view as il
has been the view expressed on this page
ever since the shortage Of cavalry horses
began to be felt. In letter to the National
Steeplechase and Hunt Association relat-
ing to the recent meeting at the Commo-
dore Hotel, Mr.. Stry4ler says
In 1912 / resigned from the army. after
about twelve years in the cavalry one OF
the reasons being a wish TO find tho way
for furnishing better horses and a certain
supply. had seen the quality decreasing
and was aware that various factors were
constantly narrowing the areas where q
cavalry type had previously been plentiful
The reasons are perceivabe. In the West
always the largest source of supply the
ranges were being broken up and the new
conditions demanded the "drafter'' anC
ever increasingly the tractor In the East
the automobile in large measure was SUP.
planting the harness horse But there ar,
conditions of climate soil or kinds of farm.
ing where. no matter how economical and
trustworthy mechanical power may be
certain operations. certain seasons require
that horse he maintained. For the most
part these conditions are in the kind OF
country where horse sports could be ex-
pected most likely to flourish
There arc two main reasons for Snort
the benefit, physical and moral to the in.
dividual or community participating, and
the money derived from producing or
maintaining the agencies of the sport
That meeting at the Commodore seemed
to me to give great opportunity to thos,
who attended, men largely interested in
sport for sports sake, to realize the obli.
cation or the privilege of correlating their
| interest with what could be advantageous
business for the farmer-breeder You re-
member what one officer from the re-
mount division said:-'Our purchasing Of
ficers have been called in, for they cannot
find cavalry horses That is rather start
ling, and hunting men can we'll afford &c
assist in finding an answer, not only for
the sake OF the country, but because their
natural way of answering il will build
toward the healthiest kind of sport.
In my humble opinion, the kind of horse
| Iiheiy 10 De the last To disappear is the
thoroughbred. and his half-bred get The
automobile at one end, the tractor at the
other has made such difference in the
kind of horse the farmer needs, 7 think j;
fair to say he is somewhat puzzled TO de-
eide just what that kind is.
1T is very fortunate time to help him
to decide. Show him real values. and il
won't take long. What 1.200 half bred
can do in the collar is known in some
sections; IL ought to be appreciated in
more. In those sections we look for hunt
ers. Help those sections TO have some
fun, and many hunters will develop into
! 'chasers' those that don't and are not
even quite hunters will make splendc
cavalry mounts.
! About this class comes in the question
Of price. If the army can't get mounts
for the amount allowed, they will have to
pay more. At the present moment l think
1t would be impossible TO get the number
required at any price From my observa-
tion, for around $50 for three year-olds
farmers. could afford and would be inter-
ested to breed. especially if there was al
ways the chance of developing a real
money horse Conditions and costs must
be faced and realized. Congress should
understand why larger sums arc needed
for horse purchasing. II will be cheaper
than any government breeding scheme.
THE rest cf the climb is largely under
tho direction or sportsmen. Give the
farmer-breeder chance to have AS much
fun as he had when he was producing q