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WAY TO SECURE PROPER ARMY HORSES1 I Pay Earmer Remunerative Price to Breed Them — 1 Encourage Eox Hunting and Steeplechasing. NFYV YOltK. N. Y.. January Tt.—Q. I.. Stryker. for twelve years a cavalry officer in the Called s States Army and BOW master of foxhounds in the 1 Geaeoee Valley Hunt, is of opinion thai the cheap- est and liest way for the government to obtain t cavalry mounts of the right stamp and ia sufficient I ■ numbers is to pay remunerative prices to farmers i ; for raising them, rather than embark on any gov- 1 eminent breeding project. Make a market for horses of the cavalry type and private enterprise ; will quickly respond by supplying the demand, is j Mr. Strykers view. In a letter to the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association, relating to the j. 11 int meeting a; the Commodore Hotel, Mr. Stryker says: | "In i2. I resigned from tin army, after about twelve years in the cavalry, one of the reasons being a wish to find the way for furnishing better horses and a certain supply. I had s en the -quality i decreasing and was aware that various factors were constantly narrowing the areas where ] a cavalry type had previously been plentiful. The reaaeaa are perceivable. In the west, always 1 lie • largest source of supply, the ranges were being broken up and the new conditions demanded the j drafter BBd ever increasingly the Iractor. In the east the automobile in large measure was sup- ] planting the harness horse. Hut ihere are conditions of climate, soil or kinds of farming where, no mutter how economical and trustworthy in-chan- leal power may be. certain operations certain season- require that the horse be maintained. For the ] stoat part these eead!3eaa are in the kind of country where horse sports could be expected r.ost likely to flourish. "There are two main reasons for sport, the bene- • fit. physical and moral, to the individual or community participating, and the money derived from | producing or maintaining the agencies of the sjiort . That meeting at the Commodore seemed 1.1 me to i g.ve gnat opportunity to those who attended, men largely Inleri sted in sport for sports sake, to ralize the obligation or the privilege of correlating tiielr interest with what could ! .• advantageous linsi* ;•• ss f 1 the former ..coder. You remember what one officer from the remount division said: Our , pcrchaaing officers have been railed In. for they c.nnot find cavalry horses." That is rather star-tliug. and hunting men can well afford to assist in finding an answer, not only for the «:ike af the country, but be cease their natural way of answering it will build toward the healthiest kind of sport. THOROUGHBRED LAST TO DISAPPEAR. "In my humble opinion the kind of bene likely to lie the iast to disappear is the thoroughbred and his half -bred get. The automobile at one end. tin tractor at the other, ha- made such a difference in the kind ef horse the farmer needs I think it fair to say he is somewhat paanted to decide just what that kind is. "It is a fortunate time to help him to decide. Shew him r.-al values, and it wont take long. What a UN half-bred can do in the collar is known ia same sections; it ought to be appreciated ia more. In those sections we look for hunters. Help those sections to have some fun. and many banters will develop into chasers; those that lier.l aad are not even quite hunters will make -1 lendid cavalry mounts. "About this class comes in the question of price. If the army cant get inouu.s for the amount allowed they will have to pay more. At the pres-ii.; moment I think it would be impossible to get the number required at any price. From my obeer-ratton, for around M for three-year-olds farmers ciulil afford and would be interested to breed especially if there was always the chance of developing a real money horse. Conditions and costs must be faced and realized. Congress should understand why larger sums are needed for horse purchasing. It will be cheaper than any government breeding s; heme. * "The rest of the climb is largely under the direction of sportsmen. Give the farmer -breeder a chance i • have as iniuii fun as he had when he was producing a prospect for Hie county fair. De snrp he is given a proper welcome in the hunting field. Cot new hunts going. Have all the hunt races possible to attract new horses. Make the racing associations keep some Opea dates, so there can be in.- Hi satisfactory hunt race meetings."
