1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
265 
Live Stock and Dairy 
AMERICAN HORSES ABROAD. 
WHAT EUROPEAN MARKETS DEMAND. 
The Business a Growing One. 
Trade in Its Infancy. —The foreign 
market for American horses is one of 
very recent development. Secretary of 
Agriculture Wilson has been much in¬ 
terested in this subject, and has secured 
information from a number of European 
countries where American horses are 
sold, and where the market is susceptible 
of greater development. This informa¬ 
tion is embodied in a special report from 
the Department of Agriculture. At the 
time of the Columbian Exposition in 
1893, this trade was almost in its infancy. 
During the year following this exposi¬ 
tion, it is said there were only five for¬ 
eign buyers of horses in the Chicago 
market, and only 2,000 horses were ex¬ 
ported from that city, but even this was 
twice as many as had been exported the 
previous year. In 1897, 70 foreign buy¬ 
ers were in the Chicago market, and 
three-fourths of the horses exported to 
Europe went directly from Chicago. In 
view of the prevailing low prices of 
horses in this country for the past few 
years, this matter is an important one to 
breeders, and the development of the 
foreign market must be of considerable 
financial importance to the country at 
large. 
With the exception of Hungary and 
Russia, it is said that the European na¬ 
tions do not produce as many horses as 
they need. Of late years, they have 
drawn largely upon America, particu¬ 
larly Canada and the United States, to 
supply their deficiency. This condition 
of affairs there is due largely to the 
dense population, which also prevents 
the production of sufficient cereals and 
other food stuffs, thus creating a mar¬ 
ket for many of our agricultural prod¬ 
ucts. It is, also, partly due to the large 
number of horses which are required by 
their armies. 
American Horses Good. —From the 
many reports received from different 
European countrjes, the conclusion is 
reached that American horse-raisers have 
just as good stock as breeders on the 
other side the Atlantic. There, as here, 
good, bad and indifferent horses of many 
different breeds are produced, but th< 
breeder in this country should know 
just what kind of a horse is demanded 
there if he is to make a profit from 
breeding or exporting. It costs just as 
much to send a poor horse to those coun¬ 
tries as a good one ; besides, the condi¬ 
tion there is much like that here, for it 
is well known that American breeders 
have produced a large surplus of in¬ 
ferior horses. The demand there, then, 
is only for horses of the best class. 
There appears to be only one exception 
to this, and that is in the case of Den¬ 
mark, which in 1896, imported more than 
6,000 horses mostly from Russia and Fin¬ 
land, which were valued at $80 per head, 
and exported nearly 16,000, valued at 
$172 per head. Very thrifty people these. 
The report says that Europe wants 
good horses of all breeds, just as America 
does, but there are some conditions 
which are not the same. Therefore, a 
good horse which would be just the 
thing for the purpose of the buyer in 
America, might be unsuited to the work 
of the prospective European purchaser ; 
and the reverse is also true. It is good 
policy, then, for horse breeders as well 
as dealers, to study the tastes and de¬ 
mands of these new purchasers, and en¬ 
deavor, so far as possible, to produce the 
horses demanded, if they wish to profit 
by this new outlet. 
Horses for the Army. —The first class 
of horses referred to, is the army horse. 
These are required for cavalry and for 
hauling artillery and baggage trains. It 
is said that the animals there, while the 
same in some respects, differ materially 
in many important particulars. While 
our horses are weight-carriers, with 
large barrels to stand hard work, and to 
become hustlers when forage gives out, 
the European horses receive much more 
careful treatment, have smaller barrels, 
and are more lightly and gracefully 
made. Ours may be the more service¬ 
able, but if we desire to sell, we must 
cater to the taste and idea of the pur¬ 
chaser. Perhaps this demand for horses 
is not so important a one for us as that 
of horses for business purposes, because 
they furnish most of their own horses in 
time of peace, for this purpose ; still, it 
is said that many American horses do 
find their way into the French and Ger¬ 
man armies, often under the name of 
English or Irish, their naturalization 
Deing completed during the few jdays 
they are on English soil before they are 
reembarkec^ for their trip across the 
Channel. Prices vary in the different 
countries from $180 to $290. 
Horses for Business —When it comes 
to business horses, it is said that, of the 
28,000 exported in 1897, about 4,000 were 
sent to Belgium, 1,000 to France, Ger¬ 
many and Holland, and 20,000 to Great 
Britain. This shows that Great Britain 
is the larger purchaser, but this may be 
accounted for by the fact that many 
horses sold there, are again sold to go to 
other European countries. In order to 
maintain and increase this trade, the 
breeders themselves must make efforts 
to produce just what the market de¬ 
mands, for while the dealers are, evi¬ 
dently, pushing things, they cannot in¬ 
crease the trade unless they can supply 
just the goods wanted. 
The Secretary suggests taking meas¬ 
ures to secure better accommodations on 
board steamers carrying the animals, 
and the establishment of an inspection 
at the port of shipment, similar to that 
employed for cattle, so that no horse 
affected with any disease, shall be al¬ 
lowed to go abroad to injure the reputa¬ 
tion of our stock. About 150,000 new 
horses annually are required for the 
London business world. This is about 
50 per cent more than the entire number 
handled annually in Chicago., our largest 
horse market, so that the importance of 
a London demand, not to mention the 
rest of England, is apparent. Of the 
horses used in London, upwards of 40,000 
were imported during 1896, Canada and 
the United States furnishing about three- 
quarters of these. 
What Horses are Wanted. —The re¬ 
port gives the requirements for horses 
for different purposes in London. The 
tramways, * bus companies, jobmasters 
and owners of light delivery wagons are 
large purchasers of American horses. 
For their use, horses must be from 15 
to 16 hands high, weigh from 1,200 to 
1,350 pounds, be compactly built, with 
plenty of bone and muscle, and good 
action, and from five to seven years of 
age. They should measure from 76 to 78 
inches in girth, andfrom 8% to 9% inches 
around the leg just below the knee. 
Such horses will sell for from $170 to 
$185, and sometimes as high as $200. 
Large bus horses for suburban work, 
five to eight years old, 16 hands high, 
weighing 1,600 to 1,700 pounds, with a 
girth of 88 inches, bring from $185 to 
$225, and exceptional native horses sell 
as high at $400. What we would call a 
runabout or useful light delivery wagon 
horse, 16 to 163* hands high, 78 inches 
girth, sells for $125 to $150. Carriage 
horses sell for the highest price, but, of 
course, these must be well trained as 
well as well-bred. Those of 90 inches 
girth, 93* inches around the leg balow 
the knee, with good knee action and 
well matched, bring from $750 to $1,500 
per pair. 
The demand is always brisk for heavy 
draught horses, Clydesdale and Shire 
horses being most in demand. Solid, 
stocky, 163* hands high, 1,750-pound 
horses, free from blemish, five to seven 
years old, 10 to 10}* inches around the 
leg below the knee, and 98 to 100 inches 
girth, bring from $150 to $375. It is 
said that a young, sound, well-broken 
horse* with plenty of bone and muscle, 
compactly built, of almost any recog¬ 
nized class or type, will sell well in the 
London market, but the scrub or badly- 
broken horses are not wanted. 
The effect of the American trade has 
been to cheapen horses in Eugland, and 
what has been our gain has been a loss 
to farmers on the Island. Not only this 
country, but Germany, Holland, Belgium 
and France sell draught horses to 
England. Color is not considered in a 
lower class grade. 
Of course, there is great opposition on 
the other side to this business of export¬ 
ing American horses ; but it is said that 
American horse breeders have for years 
been importing some of the best animals 
of the best breeds from the most perfect 
European races, including Shires, Clydes¬ 
dales, Belgian Draughts, Percherons, 
Cleveland Bays and others. In this 
way, the product has been greatly im¬ 
proved. 
It costs about $30 to $40 after a horse 
is sold in the eastern part of the United 
States before it can be taken across and 
sold in the European cities. Thus, it 
will be seen that the margin of profit; 
on low-priced horses would be too nar¬ 
row to make a desirable business. At 
present, there is a scarcity of desirable 
horses, and prices are rising. The larger 
part of the export trade consists of 
draught and road horses, the former 
weighing over 1,600 pounds, and the lat¬ 
ter from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. A horse 
must have an aptitude for some special 
work in order to bring the best price. 
Where They Go.—Tne kind of horses 
demanded by each country may be in¬ 
ferred from the following : 
Great Britain : 90 per cent of all horses 
shipped to this country are draught 
horses; about seven per cent are high- 
class coachers, and three per cent trot¬ 
ting and light carriage horses. 
Germany : 95 per cent of all the horses 
shipped are draught horses, weighing 
1,500 pounds or upwards, the other five 
per cent being made up of high-class 
carriage, running and trotting horses. 
It is said that most of the latter are re- 
shipped to Austria. 
France: About 85 per cent of the 
horses exported to tuis country are 
termed cabbers, the other 15 per cent are 
about equally divided between draught 
horses and trotters. 
Belgium : About two per cent of those 
sent here are trotting or light buggy 
horses, 23 per cent street-car horses, 
weighing 1,200 pounds, and 15 per cent 
draught horses, weighing 1,600 pounds 
and upward. 
It is seen here, that by far the larger 
part of the horses exported, with the 
exception of those going to France, are 
heavy draught horses. This shows the 
demand wnich it is to the interest of 
breeders here to fill. 
Fig. 109 shows a picture of the Shire 
mare Boro’ Royal, shown at the Saire 
Horse Sbow of last year, and winner of 
the reserve for the young mare’s cup 
Breeders' Directory. 
This oolumn Is reserved for small cards of live 
stock, Including poultry, breeders. No outs. Rates 
on application. 
P rize Winner Berkshlres. Sows bred to Carlos Lee 
48992. Select stock. Address F. 8. Amoss, Amoss.Md. 
Closing-Out Sale.— 10 Red Short-horn 
Heifer Calves. 3 to 4 months old,crated at*24.50 each 
Also, four Bull Calves, at *30, crated, 3 and 4 months 
old. IoON & LITSKY, Harrodsburg, Ky. 
J&WrirES 4 Registered Jersey Bulls 
from 9 to 12 months old, sired by Impoitej Bull Le 
Brocq of Clearview. J. S. CAMt-BKLL, Butler. Pa. 
Figs —Eligible to Registry, and First- 
class stock at Reduced Prices. Chester White, 
Berkshire, Poland-China and Jersey red. 
Also, Poultry. WM. B. IIARVK V, West Grove, Pa. 
For Sale—O ne-year old Black Shet¬ 
land Stallion. Registered stock. 
E. W. BRADLEY, Elmira, N. Y. 
For Sale—French Coach Stallion, 
Imported. Seal brown, over 10 hands high, about 
1,500 pounds. Owner must change head of stable, 
hence will sell for what he win be worth whengeided. 
Wnl take Dairy Stock or Draft Co ts in exchange 
Address D. H. N., care of The Rural New-Yorker. 
Ifn uni STCINQ F0K SALK-Two Pauline' 
lUu nULOl LlliO Paul-De Kol Bulls ready for 
service. Butter-bred Bulls as low as *50 Calves sired 
by our famous Royal Paul, and rich-milking cows and 
heifers bred to him. Dellhurst Farms, Mentor, Ohio. 
Woodland Short-horns heifers (bred) forsale 
W. 1. WOOD, Williamsport, Pickaway Co., Ohio. 
YOUNG CnW^ bred at $15, all sold. Have some 
I U U ll U OU IT 0 line ones that have had one lit¬ 
ter, and are safe with pig now at*20. Good value. 
F. H. GATES & SONS, Chittenango, N. Y. 
IMPROVED CHESTER WHITES 
of the best breeding and all ages for sale at reason 
able prioea. Pamphlets and prloes free. 
CUA3. K. RECORD, Peterboro, N. Y 
The Pains 
and aches of 
Somehow and somewhere, among the muscles and joints, 
RHEUMATISM; 
BCS ST. JACOBS OILS"" 3 
IT PENETRATES, SEARCHES, DRIVES OUT. 
SHIRE MARE, BORO’ ROYAL. Fig. 109. 
