AMERICAN HORSES IN BELGIUM. 25 



These horses are brought from both Canada and the United States, 

 either direct to Antwerp across the Atlantic, or after the transship- 

 ment in England from that country to Belgium. 



The latter mode, while of coux'se more expensive, enables the deal- 

 ers at times to sell a horse as English or Irish instead of American, at 

 a higher price. The stables, as far as I could learn, are entirely run 

 on a commission basis and horses remain there as long as the dealers 

 or importers choose to leave them. 



These 400 American horses were decidedly of the common work- 

 horse type, having among them very few which showed a trace of 

 either action or blood. One lot of 24 horses had been sold at private 

 sale for 950 francs * a head, to go to Strassburg, on the Upper Rhine. 

 These were rather the best of the whole lot of working horses and 

 were such as our farmers in the Ohio Valley would ask from $60 to 

 $90 for. There were a few draft horses among the remainder showing 

 decided traces of Flemish admixture, but falling far short of the fine 

 draft horses for which Flanders is famous. Two hundred and ninety 

 of the horses had been brought over by one American dealer, who was 

 preparing to sell at auction on the fourth day after landing. This I 

 mention to show the good average condition in which horses are deliv- 

 ered at Antwerp by the steamship companies without any special care 

 having been taken about them. In all these 400 horses I think there 

 were but four or five which showed signs of illness, and perhaps 

 double that number had been slightly cut or galled during the voyage. 

 It was impossible to find out from this man or any other of the deal- 

 ers what they had paid for these horses in America, or, except very 

 vaguely, from what part of the United States- they came. 



On this occasion I had the advantage of the company of the mili- 

 tary attache of this legation, Lieutenant Langhorne, of the First 

 Cavalry, whose practical knowledge and long experience in the pur- 

 chase of horses for our Army made his presence and comments of the 

 greatest interest and value. 



On leaving these stables we were able to obtain permission to visit 

 and examine the collections of the famous draft horses of Flanders, 

 owned by the various cooperative societies of teamsters and truckmen 

 who do the business of the docks at Antwerp. These societies are 

 supposed to own the finest stables of these horses in existence. 



The magnificent condition of these animals showed the care given 

 them and the pride taken in them by their owners. Each member of 

 the society has the care of two special horses and is charged with 

 the sole responsibility of their health and condition, being given 

 absolute carte blanche as to the amount and quality of their feed 

 and the details of looking after them. 



* The State Department gives the value of the franc in United States money 

 as 19.3 cents. Ordinary calculations in round numbers are usually made on the 

 basis of five francs to the dollar. 



