68 FOREIGN MARKETS FOR AMERICAN HORSES. 



The following are the destinations, numbers, and values of horses 

 exported in 1896 : 



The cost of raising a horse in England until 3 years old has been 

 variously estimated at from $150 to $200, according to the locality 

 where the horse is kept. In my opinion the former figure is about 

 correct. 



While the statements made by Sir Walter Gilbey are based upon 

 information obtained in England, some of the conditions there apply 

 to other countries, and in order not to encumber this report with repe- 

 titions, these facts so applying will receive slight mention. Consider- 

 able space has been devoted to England, as the situation there seemed 

 to demand it, but in the consideration of the present status of the 

 horse business in other places not so much space will be occupied. 



IN FRANCE. 



Here the conditions are much the same as in England. By refer- 

 ence to the figures supplied by the United States Treasury Depart- 

 ment the number of horses Prance received from us in 1897 will be 

 seen to be very small, but these figures must not be taken as correct. 

 So far as the Treasury Department is concerned they may be accu- 

 rate, but in compiling statistics we can only trace the horses shipped 

 from the United States ports to their landing place and there all trace 

 of them is lost. The reason so few are accredited to Prance is from 

 the fact that the vessels running directly between United States ports 

 and French ports are so poor in accommodations that French dealers 

 will not patronize them, but prefer to ship to an English port and 

 then reship, even though the expense of so doing is greater. Thus it 

 will be seen that while the statistics of our Government are correct 

 in conveying the information they are intended to impart, they must 

 not be understood to convey a correct idea of the number of horses 

 each country mentioned actually received from us during the periods 

 given. Many of the horses shipped to English ports were finally sold 

 in France, Belgium, and other countries, while many of those received 

 at Belgian ports were sent to Germany. Many shipped from the 

 United States to Germany were sold in Russia, but the majority sent 

 to England were sold there. The majority sent to Germany were sold 

 there, while the larger part of those landed in Belgium were ulti- 

 mately sold in Germany and elsewhere after being fitted for sale. 

 This is especially true of the draft horses landed in Belgium, as will 



