136 The IIoksio Industry in New York State 



inspectors for the British army work over a vast immber of 

 horses of the so-called gumier type. These so-called gunners — 

 really just chunks — have been drawn from the farms of the 

 Middle West — or at least the best of them — and they indicated 

 for the most part the sort of breeding described. As already 

 noted the inspectors' selections have weighed from 1,200 to 

 1,500 pounds, but the pattern has been very largely the same — 

 a close-made, short-legged, strong horse, with good straight action 

 and plenty of bone; in short, a chunk with two good ends, a 

 deep middle and good legs and feet. 



Style and extravagant action, speed, extra good looks and flesh 

 have brought no premium. Providing the animal filled the bill 

 as to height, weight and general type, he was accepted and paid 

 for with the same amount of money that secured individuals 

 that in former years would have brought from $50 to $75 more 

 on the open market. This foreigii army demand has been a 

 great leveller of prices. It has paid the same for a gelding weigh- 

 ing 1,200 pounds as it has for a mare weighing 1,450 pounds 

 and actually worth twice as much money ; which brings us to 

 the crux of the situation. 



THE EUROPEAN DEMAND 



Ever since last August this foreign army demand has been the 

 mainstay of the horse trade. First in the field, the British have 

 been the best and largest consumers. They have insisted on taking 

 none but good horses — high-class chunks with weight and sub- 

 stance, strong bone, perfectly sound, from five to ten years old — 

 sometimes as high as twelve years, — and they have taken them 

 wherever that sort was offered. Naturally they got the most of 

 them in the Middle West, and they have about licked the platter 

 clean. ^loreover, they have taken mares whenever they could 

 get them, which is unfortunate. I know from personal obser- 

 vation and enumeration that more than half of the best animals 

 they have taken have been mares. I have no hesitation in saying 

 that of the entire purchases of gunners during the present year, 

 by the British inspectors, not less than 65 per cent have been 

 females, and of the best half of the entire number bought, not 

 less than 85 per cent have been mares. I do not know whether 



