30 FOREIGN MARKETS FOR AMERICAN HORSES. 



everything necessary to drive or ride the horses; telephone freely to the disposal 



of customers. 



Entrance, 2 francs per horse. All other costs, including landing, conduct to 

 stables, feeding, cares, reshipping horses, and one man per ten horses: In stalls, 

 3 francs per horse and day; in box stalls, 5 francs. 



Shoeing, veterinary cares, certificates, inspection, and medicines are the only 

 extra costs to be paid. 



His commission is 5 per cent, of which 3 per cent, as I understand, 

 goes to the Government. This is the only good place that I could 

 find, and by shipping to him many annoyances are avoided until the 

 shipper learns the ways of this country and can make better arrange- 

 ments. 



The tails of all horses here are docked. This is badly done, as a 

 rule, in America. At the stables above mentioned the horses are 

 docked by an expert at no charge to the shipper, the operator keeping 

 the hair cut off as his recompense. 



The Phoenix line of steamships brings over the horses at a cost of 

 $20 per head from New York to Antwerp, or for $30 including every- 

 thing—insurance, feeding, attendance, and all. The cost of the same 

 from Chicago to Antwerp is about $40. The voyage takes two weeks 

 or less, and the horses arrive in excellent condition. I have seen 

 about four lots that came in that way. The tails should always be 

 sacked, to avoid their being rubbed. The horses arrived on Saturdays, 

 Sundays, or Mondays, and were sold the following Thursdays. I 

 saw those that were sold on the 16th of September. They appeared 

 to be a very indifferent lot. Those sold on the 14th of October, which 

 I also saw, were much better, but still not by any means of superior 

 types, although many of the draft animals were excellent, and such 

 brought over 1,000 francs. I understood from a confidential source 

 that the shippers in these instances realized about $40 to $43 per 

 horse. The animals cost on an average about $96 laid down in 

 Antwerp. 



The buyers were principally men having sales stables, who, of course, 

 expected to make a profit by reselling their purchases. In selling 

 pairs it is well to put them up first separately and then as a pair, as 

 this is allowed in the Belgian trade ; and if not so much is offered on 

 the pair as on the two sold singly the horses go to the highest sepa- 

 rate bidders. 



All horses sent over should be well broken and have good manners, 

 not only in harness and under the saddle, but also in the stable. The 

 attendants in this country are by no means good horsemen, and it 

 takes a well-broken animal to stand the treatment it receives. 



Mares are in as general use as geldings, and there seems to be no 

 difference as to price. This is so also of those in the military service. 

 Roans are very popular, and, all other things being equal, bring higher 

 prices. 



I have experienced some difficulty in collecting the above informa- 



