226 Horse Breeding in United States. 



but it has now reached a point where there is difficulty in 

 supplying the demand for good horses. This has been caused 

 by the increasing export, and the large home demand for horses 

 of a high class, boih for riding and driving and for light and 

 heavy draught work. Probably more horses were kept for 

 Drivate use in the cities ten years ago than now, but they were 

 chiefly of a common class, and with the advent of the bicycle 

 and electric cars these diminished, and the animals now kept 

 are of a much higher class. 



There were, on the ist January last, 13,538,000 horses and 

 2,086,000 mules in the United States. Of the former nearly 

 two-thirds, viz., 8,462,000, were in the Middle States, the only 

 State credited with over a million being, however, Texas, 

 with 1,126,000, in the South. This was followed by Illinois 

 and Iowa, each with about 980,000, while both Kansas and 

 Missouri had over 700,000 head. Mules are almost entirely 

 confined to the Southern and Middle States, Texas, with 

 261,030, ranking first in this respect. 



The natural horse of the United States — the cayuse or 

 broncho — was improved in the early history of American 

 horse-breeding by the use of thoroughbred and hunting sires, 

 which resulted in progeny of good stamina and courage, but 

 of small size. About 1875, through the influences exerted by 

 State and national associations, considerable interest was 

 aroused in the heavier breeds of horses, and, in the next 

 fifteen years, millions of dollars were expended by American 

 horse-breeders in the importation of the choicest stallions 

 and mares from the United Kingdom and Continent of 

 Europe. These breeds included mainly the Hackney, 

 Clydesdale, English Shire, Norman, Percheron, Belgian, and 

 French coach horses. The effects of this infusion of new 

 blood have greatly improved the quality, size, and bone of the 

 horses in general use on the farm and for sale on the market. 



The types of the American horses now put upon the 

 market may be generally classified in eight groups, viz., cobs, 

 coach horses, saddle horses (English type), American saddle 

 horses, roadsters, draft, range, and southern horses. The 

 two latter represent a very much low T er grade than the 

 others, while the second class (coach horses) fetched the 

 highest average price at the Chicago market in 1900. 



