Show GEN WOOD ON THE CAVALRY CAVAL RY HORSE no man in america is better qualified to speak on the quest preparedness than the major majo general leonard wood re carded crded as a dark horse for republican nomination being looked upon as a compromise candidate what he has to say is always worth reading while interested te in all branches of the service the general is an enthusiast on matters pertaining to the cavalry branch of the army having given special attention to the remount service he recently said 1 I am sorry that the appropriation for experimental peri mental work in horse breeding at front royal and other stations under governing go governmental vernin en tal buderi supervision ailon has been curtailed from the at which it was originally placed to and we in the service who know the necessity of having havin g a an 1 adequate supply of cavalry re mounts are hopeful that the pitt man scully bid asking for an appropriation of for the of stallions of the proper type in different states state s of the union where the farmers may have access to them will be approved though the work which has been done to date by the government has been beneficial athas it has undoubtedly been a costly experiment it is safe to say that from all the stations we have not had bad more than one thou sand horses a year As the cost of maintaining the stations would aggregate probably this figuring the cost of the animals gives us the price of more than for the finished product and in the end we do not get a topnotch top notch horse if we could place the proper sort of sire and when I 1 say that I 1 mean the thoroughbred in the horse breeding com communities muna continued the general and tho the government would pay the farmer r say ray ay for hia three acar old in the autumn both the government and the fanner would benefit by such an arrangement the farmer aid should give an option on the progeny on every mare bred to one of our sires and if sold to the government no stud fee would be charged if he had bad a desire to develop the animal for a hunter or saddle horse than the fee which should be a small one should be paid only mares which would be approved by government inspectors should be bred all inspection of both males and females should be under the cavalry branch of the army and tile the quartermaster general should have control care should of course be exercised in the selection of the sire and only those of good constitutions tut ions amiable bisp dispositions asi it ons proper con formatin and with the right kind f bone should be utilized I 1 believe in the thoroughbred horse absolutely for an officers mount with the half bred for the trooper of course tb the e stallion atall on should not have been bee raced much as a two year old as this system I 1 believe tei tends ads to make nervous wrecks out of many of our boises anses besides lead ing to unsoundness and I 1 am such a believer in maturity before asking for a checial test that I 1 would not expect the proper kind 0 of f service out of our troopers rs before their five year old form As a matter of fact a well prepared and seasoned five year old should be good for twelve years of efficient service 1 I have had a great deal to do with thoroughbred horses and have three of them here at the island now one by sand rock one by first chord and another by octagon my daughter has ridden ne thoroughbred stallions ever si since nee she was ten years old and she has found them tractable and delightful mounts in every way in my opinion they are as foundation stock for the general improvement of all branches of the equine family they have the qualities we seek to incorporate into all our horses and we are only following in the footsteps of foreign countries when we utilize them Thorough berd record i i |