94 FOREIGN MARKETS FOR AMERICAN HORSES. 



izes that to find a ready market for the horses he raises he must cater 

 largely to the wants of the export trade, and breed such horses as 

 there is a demand for. I am informed by horse dealers who are 

 frequenting all parts of the United States, purchasing horses 

 for the Buffalo market, that from the information which they 

 derive from farmers and horse breeders, every effort is being made 

 by them to procure suitable sires and dams for producing the 

 class of horses demanded for the export trade, especially the cav- 

 alry, artillery, and coach horse. The very low prices that have 

 been obtained by the farmer for the past few years have caused a 

 shortage in the production of all classes" of horses, while the demand 

 for the past eight or ten years for a cheaper class of common horses, 

 such as are used by American street-car lines and for other similar 

 purposes, has been largely done away with by the substitution of 

 electricity as a motive power and by the large use of bicycles, and 

 on account of the financial depression of the entire country during 

 the past few years. These causes have naturally forced the farmers 

 and horse breeders who have been raising and breeding horses of an 

 inferior class, without regard to any quality whatsoever, to discon- 

 tinue the raising of horses of this kind. This really has been a boon 

 to the horse trade of the future, as all inferior stallions have been 

 castrated and either turned loose on the prairie to obtain their own 

 living or sold for some ordinary draft work, while brood mares of the 

 inferior class have also been disposed of. This fact has left nothing 

 but the better bred or high class horses to breed from in the future. 

 This, coupled with the knowledge that the farmer has acquired regard- 

 ing the necessity of raising a class of horses which will find a ready 

 sale both for foreign and home consumption, and the encouraging 

 and large demand of foreign countries for the American horse when 

 suitably bred, points to but one conclusion, and that is that the future 

 prospects of the sales of American horses to foreign countries is 

 extremely good, and one that warrants horse dealers and breeders in 

 using every effort in their power to improve the quality and breed of 

 horses so as to insure their receiving a suitable price and a large 

 demand. There is no doubt but that the American horse, properly 

 bred, has proven his superiority over all other horses in any part of 

 the civilized world. 



Buyers and dealers of American horses for the export trade express 

 themselves in a way which signifies that they are of the opinion that 

 some action should be taken by the American Government in the way 

 of inspection and supervision of shipment, both by rail through the 

 States and also on board of the ocean steamers, in order that, by a 

 proper inspection of each individual horse, guaranteeing his health 

 and freedom from diseases of a contagious nature. 



