30 THE HORSE AND THE WAR 



An even perfunctory knowledge of the map of North America will enable 

 any one to realize the enormous expanse of country which has to be traversed 

 between the purchase area in the middle western states and the embarkation 

 area on the Atlantic seaboard. One of the most serious factors which has to 

 be contended with in the horse business in North America — a factor which I 

 venture to think is anything but widely understood in this country — is shipping 

 fever, which, speaking untechnically, is a sort of influenza constantly resulting 

 in pneumonia or similar pulmonary diseases. It is a deplorable, but indisput- 

 able, fact that over 70 per cent, of horses moved over rail contract this shipping 

 fever — some directly and others a considerable period after detraining. So 

 far, though researches are continually being made, only qualified success with 

 preventive serum has been achieved. We have two possible principles to 

 adopt : Should we keep the horses in the country a sufficient time to let them 

 get over their shipping fever before embarkation ; or should we embark them 

 with the least possible delay — the latter alternative meaning the contraction 

 of the disease on board ship and after arrival in the United Kingdom ? The 

 former alternative has been adopted, and, in the WTiter's opinion, there is no 

 doubt whatever that it is the soundest plan. It will be seen easily that the 

 adoption of the principle of keeping the animals in America till they are 

 "" salted " entails the upkeep of considerable organization, besides that of 

 purchase on the other side of the Atlantic. 



It has been found that the minimum period of detention from time of 

 purchase till date of embarkation is seven weeks, and, though circumstances 

 cannot always be such as to allow of this being adhered to, this procedure is 

 adopted as closely as possible. A glance at the map will show that the area 

 in operation is most simply divided into two zones — the purchasing zone 

 and the embarkation zone. In each of these zones there is a system of 

 remount depots — situated as far as possible in places with suitable railway 

 facilities. 



It may be mentioned here that the chief sources of infection of shipping 

 fever are dealers' yards, stockyards and railway cars, all of which, owing to 

 their continual floative population, become so infected as to be almost hopeless 

 of satisfactory sanitation. Consequently, horses, once they are purchased, 

 are kept as brief a time as possible in any of the three. There is a law in the 

 States which forbids any horses being kept on a train without off-loading, 

 watering and feeding for longer than thirty-six hours. As most of the journeys 

 from the purchasing zone are of several days' duration, it has been found 

 necessary to form subsidiary remount depots at suitable points on selected 

 railways, such depots being used as off-loading and feeding stations. All 

 these depots — purchasing area, embarkation area and off-loading stations — 

 require and possess their necessary staffs of executive and veterinary officers 

 and subordinate employes. 



Now let us come to the movement of the animal itself. We left him just 

 purchased walking out of the dealer's yard branded with the broad arrow, 

 etc., and the property of the British Government. At some purchase points 

 there are depots in the vicinity, and the horses are walked over and come under 

 the supervision of the depot officer on the very day of purchase. At others the 



