OPINIONS OF FOREIGN HORSE BREEDERS. 17 



the State Department, indicates the present feeling of the foreign 

 horse breeders upon the subject, and is of interest to exporters and 

 breeders of horses in the United States : 



La Federation Nationale de l'Elevage du Cheval en Belgique (National Associa- 

 tion for Horse Breeding in Belgium) convened the 4th of November, 1897, in a 

 meeting at which all the breeders assembled to discuss the influence which may 

 be exercised upon our indigenous production by the constantly increasing impor- 

 tation of Amerioan horses. On December 1, 1897, the Soci^te Centrale d'Agricul- 

 ture (Central Agricultural Society) also held a meeting to discuss the same 

 subject. 



Some few years ago the danger was pointed out in an article which appeared in 

 l'lndependence of the 21st of December, 1897. Three months ago a Belgian mili- 

 tary review published an article on the subject. In 1894, at a general assembly of 

 the Society Nationale des Eleveurs Beiges (National Society of Belgian Breeders) , 

 attention was again called to the peril which menaced us, and then for the first 

 time horse breeders were warned that the production of draft horses might suffer 

 by competition from the New World. Since then they have reposed in a deceit- 

 ful security, and now find themselves confronted by the progress realized in the 

 the American ranches. 



The first shipments were of inferior quality, the experimenters having been 

 timid. These importations from North America must not be confounded with an 

 enterprise which breeders in the Argentine Republic had unsuccessfully tried 

 some years before. The wild horses known as "pampas "left a sad souvenir, 

 still remembered by many persons. Such a mistake would do great injustice to 

 the American horse, whose hitherto disputed qualities are to-day fully appreciated 

 at their just value. It can not be otherwise, since the Americans have been inde- 

 fatigable for years in securing the finest breed of animals from the most perfect 

 European races, which they have taken to their country. Their efforts have been 

 crowned with full success. From latest statistics it is shown that there are 

 now in the great Republic between 14,000,000 and 16,000,000 head of horses. It is 

 well to note in passing that these figures do not include the equine population of 

 Canada, which, although not of such considerable number, is, however, of much 

 importance. On account of a concurrence of exceptional circumstances a crisis 

 was' produced in the United States in 1894. The rigors of a glacial winter and 

 the insufficiency of forage greatly reduced the number of horses. Besides other 

 causes — such as the adoption of the bicycle, replacing animal traction by elec- 

 tricity, and automobile motors — the unfortunate economical situation provoked a 

 considerable decrease in the value of horses. This situation aroused the spirit of 

 enterprise of this nation, essentially traders, and caused them to look around for 

 an outlet for their over-supply. The port of Antwerp was one of the first to 

 attract the attention of speculators, and at the present moment several establish- 

 ments in that city are engaged in selling at private and public sales the cargoes 

 of American horses arriving regularly every week. 



During the ten months ended October 31, 1897, 4,440 American horses were sold 

 in our metropolis, and it may be stated that this number does not include horses 

 •of the above origin coming into Belgium by way of England or by trans- Atlantic 

 vessels calling into port. 



The danger signal was until now particularly directed against fine horses 

 (carriage and saddle horses) , but we now see post horses, cart and draft horses 

 (bus, train, and heavy wagon) , for which the demand was usually addressed to 

 our Ardennes dealers. More than this, and a fact that should attract the atten- 

 tion of our horse breeders, each cargo of horses includes a certain number of draft 

 horses, which bring the highest prices, a detail particularly remarked upon by 

 S. Doc. 35 2 



