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Show AS TO CAVALRY HORSES. A dispatch aayt that the government is considering consid-ering the proposition of making an endurance test of horses through a race of 2500 miles to determine deter-mine thebet breed of homes for cavalry. It strikes us thafltuoh a terVdiiIraeli8rnilnenoth-ing. terVdiiIraeli8rnilnenoth-ing. The mudtang brought up on the range and obliged to rustle or starve, would, on short rations. ' win against all other breeds. But that would not establish for a minute that he is the best animal for a cavalry horse for any present service of tbe army. If we "itill had frontier Indian wars, where men were given but short rations and their horses had to forage for food, then the half breed horse that? grevj uj. wild on the range would be the best - animal. By half breed in this case, we mean the cross between the mustang and the ordinary American Amer-ican horse. Such horses as a rule do not have much character, but they are hardy and good rustlers 'and of sufficient strength to carry the cavalryman and his accoutrements on long marches. Any horse brought up tenderly and never forced to hunt his food would, in a few days, break down from want of food on such a test as that proposed. For all purposes which cavalry would be likely to be called npon in the United States horses should be of good stock, good size, good lookers and with brains enough to understand. To obtain these inn-teed of trying to create the breed it would be better to import enough for a starter from one of the strains in Europe where the breeding for cavalry cav-alry and artillery horses has been'carried tin with care for centuries.' General McClcllan, before onr great war made a long visit in Europe and gave it as his opinion the Austro-IIungsrisn cavalry horse was te best in Europe. They are large, ao- tive animals of splendid fiber and good sense. Indeed, In-deed, that same race of horse was carefully bred in Spain for 300 years before Austria adopted it They seem to have eome down from the days of chivalry and were evidently originated by crossing Barbs and large native horses. The best distinctive distinc-tive breed for cavalry-in the United States at pres-- pres-- ent is the Denmark, found mostly in Missouri and seemt to be a blending of thoroughbred and big trotter and ia not unlike the Irish or English hunter, hunt-er, though not so tall. . ! Such liorses in war would besr up under a six days' raid, if, for instance, the purpose was to burn' bridges and tear up railroad tracks between the enemy and bis base. He would bear the service ser-vice better if his rider would carry on his saddle a dosen pounds of wheaten flour and give him two pounds in a bucket of water every morning. A good test would be betweer two horses ss nearly equal as possible and to give one a eouple of ounces of extract of cocajne in his water every morning and see what the result would be in six days' trial. Finally premiums should be offered for concentrated concen-trated foods for cavalry horses and for fire apparatus ap-paratus horses which are liable to have to respond to fire alarms at all hours, day and night. |