The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-11-19

Washington. Noy. l9.-tP-A new
adventure III horse raising got under
way from tine army rcmOunt center ut
Front Royal, Va. when three four
footed aristocrats, with the blood Of
mighty thorougkbrcads Of the past
in their veins were shipped out for
Fort Robinson. Neb., en- route to the
Blackfcct Indian reservation in the
far northwestern corner Of Montana.
in and about the reservation are
herds of wild horses. It is estimated
that there are $4,000 all told wander
ing in the hills or in the horse corrals
Of the Indians. They arc the REM
nants of herds that once roamcd the
slopes of the Rockies and from which
came the mustang cow pony of front
icr times. Among them there fingers,
perhaps, traces Of the mood o. .me
first Arab stock brought 10 the New
World b. Cortcz and his conquista-
doris more than four hundred years
ago, descendants of the fleet stccds
that the Moors brougb: into Spain
when they ovcrran the county.
But the centuries have seen the
steady iilution Oi that famous strain
of riding horses. All sorts and con-
ditions Of animal have gon. wild and
quest of the west proceeded. Draft
stock and almost every known min
Cling Of horse blood blotted and cross
ed the breed until the Blackfect wild
stock OF today is almost without value
except for its hides and to the grim
fertilizer plants to which thousands
of head have been sent. They arc q
wrctched, spiritlcss lot, army inspec-
tors found some months ago after
careful appraisal Of the herds ut the
request Of the Indian Bureau which
hoped to find in these horscs a
source Of cavalry rcmounts and Mt ths
same time q means of revenue for its
Indian wards that would make them
sclf-supporting.
Not Discouraged -
But Commissioner Frank Knox 81
the Board Of Indian Commissioners
who halls from Manchester, N. H., was
not to be discourage. He is himself
a reserve officer Of the army ans
familiar with the problem of insurins
an adequate supply Of riding horse.
for the army in the event Of wa
emergency that would call the troop
to protect the southern frontier. Tina
exposed flank is horse 'countr.
Great as has been the development
Of motor transportation by land an,
air, mounted troops are the mai
reliance OF the nation in the deser
and waste area that would be tn
scene of conflict.
Colonel Knox also found that tn
remount experts from Salt Lake ha
noted only one favorable factor in tn
inspection of the Blackfcct reserya
ton wild herds. They estimated tina
there were 800 mares possibly froi
which new generation of ridin
horses might be bred if the work wa
done under scientific supervision an
thoroughbred stations were ayailabl,
That led the commission to talk tn
matter over with Major General
Frans Gheatham. quartermaster ger
eral of the army. 1t developed tia
the remount service, had some 4C
mighty stations ut its command, 20
! Of which have been donated to til
government by enthusiastic horsemc
in their cagerness to see the rcyiy:
Of American riding stock breeding.
General Chcatham was eager |
help in the double barreled effort I
supplement the national defense an
at the same time aid the Indian ward
Of the government in eatablishin
themselves in "a new industry.
C"r't Sr""d lin Natural Processes
1T is, after all, 4 simple matter |
put .n- 4n.ustrial power Of Americ
into the speedy production for WI
Of guns, ammunition, clothing all
other equipment for troops" he sci,
"You can speed up all those mechan
cal processes; but you can't spec
up natural processes like horse brect
ing. Wcmust make our riding hors
output sufficient in peace time |
meet our war time speeds and y
are doing it. The success Of the +,
mount efforts thus far has bee
amazing.
"Therc is no shortage Of draft stoe
in the United States. We can a
all the gun and wagon teams we nee
because our farms have kept alive II
great strains Of draft horses. tt
British horse buyers reported whit
they made their last purchases in tn
country toward the close NJ the Wo-
+ War that they were getting as got
Y or better work teams then AZ tn.
!" did in their first calls upon the Anne
" lean horse industry.
"But It's . different story with ri
- ing stock. The farms rarely produ
= mounts nowadays. Farmers run
ffivvers and it Is only in the rough
re country along the eastern slope
the Rockies, and down through par