Report of Missouri Farmers' Week. 429 



probably get you toppy animals of fair size and good quality, but 

 not the sort you can use on the farm with profit ; the thoroughbred 

 will hand you a rather similar beast as to appearance ; but nervous, 

 high-strung, not a "good doer" as a young horse, and possibly 

 worthless for your purposes. As to the "Morgans," while I knew 

 them well forty years ago in Vermont and elsewhere, I confess I do 

 not today know what you mean by a "Morgan" — unless you would 

 understand that a cow was a "Jersey" because her great-great- 

 grand-dam was reported by old Bill Jones (who died 100 years ago) 

 to have been seen one day in a lot with a bull which somebody (he 

 forgot who) thought he had heard was a Jersey. I do know 

 however, that except as "Southern horses" at very low figures, the 

 one horse the markets have no use for is the little trappy animal 

 that is not especially good at anything. 



If the government would really make up its mind what sort 

 or horse — what type and size — it wanted for army work, matters 

 would be simplified ; but ideas change every year, resulting in hope- 

 less confusion. Many a "rejected" horse has come east and won 

 in. our show rings; brought big prices; proved high class in park, 

 road and hunting field — yet the army folks refused him at $150. 

 I would almost guarantee that of 100 horses rejected this year at 

 any market, 75 per cent of them would go through next year at 

 another, before different buyers, contractors and "cappers." 



It is undoubtedly true, though not yet acknowledged by either 

 the governments or the military authorities of any country, that 

 the army riding horse of the future will be a small horse — a 

 sturdy, stout, gentle sort of 14.2 to 15 hands in height, and 900 to 

 1,000 pounds weight. The days of the regulation "cavalry horse" 

 are over — the "mounted infantry" will be — are today — the ones of 

 the service to be transported on horseback; all recent wars have 

 proved, are proving, that fact; but in face of it every country is 

 advocating the tall, leggy thoroughbred horse to sire army horses. 

 Think of it ! Advocating for purposes of endurance, the most try- 

 ing campaigning, bad and scanty feed and to carry 267 pounds in 

 full marching order, an animal whose invariable conformation is 

 tall, leggy and light ; who has for generations been pampered as no 

 other horse ever was; whose chief work in life has been to run 

 across the back yard and return, carrying 100 pounds. If you 

 argue that the thoroughbred transmits valuable characteristics as 

 no other horse does, will he not infallibly hand down these effects 

 of handling? And where does he get any others to transmit? 



