RIDING HORSES. 131 



American Riding Horse. 



During the South African War, 107,511 horses were 

 purchased in the United States by the British Government. 

 They were mostly small — from 14-2 to 15-1, and the majority 

 were for Mounted Infantry purposes, though larger ones for 

 Cavalry were at first selected. I am not acquainted with the 

 number purchased for Cavalry during the late War, but I 

 imagine that it cannot have reached a high figure, as require- 

 ments for Cavalry were comparatively few and could be met 

 more or less from Home sources ; and moreover, American 

 riding horses do not altogether fill the eye of our Cavalry 

 purchasers. The Irish and English standard of Cavalry trooper 

 is a difficult one to compete with. To our minds the American 

 saddle horse is more of the light harness type, and one can 

 understand this with the amount of standard-bred trotter blood 

 in the country, and the preference in country districts to drive 

 in a buggy rather than to ride. All the same, the small horses 

 purchased by the British Government during the South 

 African War, many of which were range horses from Wyoming, 

 Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and from Texas, were good hardy 

 animals, suitable for the purpose required, and they were well 

 reported on in South Africa. The standard of our purchases, I 

 may say, did not quite meet the approval of General Carter, 

 then Adjutant General of the U.S. Army, a great lover and 

 judge of horses, who used to pay occasional visits to our 

 Eemount Commission. They were not his idea of saddle 

 horses, but what was really passing through his. mind was the 

 better and more expensive type, suitable for Cavalry and Special 

 Eiding, two categories purchased by the American Government 

 for Army purposes. Under the American Saddle Horse 

 Breeders Association great endeavours are made to maintain an 

 American saddle horse as a type. The progenitor of this strain 

 was a thorough-bred stallion named "Denmark" foaled in 1839, 

 . and brought to Kentucky. During the Civil War, stock of this 

 Kentucky strain performed most wonderful marches. Starting 

 his first raid on 4th July 1862 from Knoxville, and returning 

 to Livingston on the 28th July, Major-General J. H. Morgan 

 wdth his Cavalry covered 1000 miles, capturing seventeen towns 

 •and destroying all the Government Stores. In July 1863, in 



