work, and are sound. Most players have four or five horses constantly on hand, and some have twenty or thirty in their stables.

It is an interesting fact that no better polo ponies are found in the United States than Western "cow ponies" that are sound and well set up, with a few months' education in the rudiments of the game as a finishing school.

Cavalry horses.

Troopers.-At uncertain intervals the market calls for horses to fill contracts with army authorities. The demand is not exceedingly large at any time and at no time is it steady. As a general rule, these horses are selected from the various classes of light horses. Foreign governments have executed orders to some extent for army stock, most horses that are regularly bought for this purpose going to England; and within the past two years immense numbers of animals have been purchased by British agents for use in South Africa, swelling the exports last year by over 30,000. Under no circumstances, however, can the army demand be looked upon as of such character as to affect the market steadily.

The best horses bought for army purposes in this country are for the United States Army, those bought for home use by the British army next, and the stock for South Africa fall to the bottom of the scale. The United States Army demands a practically sound and unblemished horse. The specifications for the cavalry horse follow:

(Article 1142, United States Army regulations, 1901.)

The cavalry horse must be sound and well bred; gentle under the saddle; free from vicious habits; with free and prompt action at the walk, trot, and gallop; without blemish or defect; of a kind disposition; with easy mouth and gait; and otherwise to conform to the following description:

A gelding of uniform and hardy color; in good condition; from 15 to 16 hands high; weight not less than 950 nor more than 1,150 pounds; from four to eight years old; head and ears small; forehead broad; eyes large and prominent; vision perfect in every respect; shoulders long and sloping well back; chest full, broad, and deep; fore legs straight and standing well under; barrel large and increasing from girth toward flank; withers elevated; back short and straight; loins and haunches broad and muscular; hocks well bent and under the horse; pasterns slanting, and feet small and sound.

Each horse will be subjected to a rigid inspection, and any animal that does not meet the above requirements in every respect must be rejected.

A horse under five years old should not be accepted unless a specially fine, welldeveloped animal.

MINOR CLASSES.

Strictly speaking, the horses mentioned below are not in market demand. They sell, however, if the price is low enough, and follow the natural result of such a condition of being dangerously near a losing investment to the seller.

GENERAL-PURPOSE HORSES.

A very large proportion of the horses on the market are what are known in stock yards reports and market quotations as "general purpose" animals. They are horses without any particular type, embrac ing misfits of all kinds of breeding, though not scrubs, as a rule, and usually being of fair to good quality without those characteristics that fit a horse for a market class. In many cases they may be serviceably sound perhaps so in the majority of instances.

Such animals are used, as the name designates, for anything and everything, but the demand is not well defined, and the supply far too large to make this kind of horse a feature of the market other than by its numbers. The average prices for them are next to the lowest quoted.

SOUTHERN HORSES.

At most of the Western markets, particularly those on the Missouri River and at St. Louis, there exists a good demand, strongest in the spring of the year, for a rather inferior grade of horses for the Southern trade. They range in quality from very inferior to very "nice" animals. They comprise mainly an assortment of practically unclassed horses, but as much of the roadster type as any. Many are sold as drivers, some as saddlers, the best grades usually going to Virginia. Prices range from $5 to $200.

PLUGS AND SCRUBS.

These wrecks of horseflesh seem out of place in a discussion of market classes of horses. Plugs are usually those animals that have come back from final sale after being worn out by long years of work. Scrubs are described by the name.

This phase of the horse market is somewhat difficult to treat. When animals are sold on the market as "range horses," it is generally understood that they are unbroken branded horses brought in and sold in carload lots, usually going to the country to be broken, and finally resold as finished horses. On the other hand, if range men are equipped to break their young stock thoroughly and do not brand them, such horses sell as natives, and strictly on their merits.

While the prejudice against a branded horse is not so strong as formerly, a brand still has a very cooling effect on the enthusiasm of a prospective buyer. The memory of the evil disposition of the old horses of this country and the frequently exaggerated stories of its presence to-day are constantly called to the attention of the public. However, it is safe to state that the character and disposition of the range horse and his individuality are being greatly improved by the enlightened policy of the more progressive ranchmen. His temper is

An object lesson in the possibilities of the range in horse breeding. These horses were by German coach stallions. Note especially the smoothness and rotundity of body, the quality, finish, and size.

being bettered by closer communication with man and better methods of handling, and the standard of breeding is being raised by the use of large numbers of purebred sires that have been brought in from the Eastern States and Europe. At the same time the wonderful quality and endurance of the native stock have been retained, and, however we may look upon the range horse personally, we must admit that the foundation is there for a very excellent horse stock. The systematic experimenting that has been done by shipping rangers East as youngsters has been very successful, though grades of only average quality were used.

In speaking favorably of the range horse, the grades which are usually the offspring of purebred sires are meant. These represent what the range is able to do in producing horses, and show its possibilities in the best light, which is no more than fair. With the average old-time ranger-the cayuse, mustang, or Indian pony--only exceptional individuals are worthy of attention. In the main, there is no meaner kind of equine to be found than what is known in different localities under one or another of these names.

It can not be said that even a large part of the range horses sold on the Western markets show much evidence of breeding. The work of improvement is yet in its primary stages.

The rangers divide into three fairly well-defined classes-ponies, saddlers and drivers, and chunks.

PONIES.

These are the descendants of the ancient stock that is known by the various names of cayuse, Indian pony, mustang, etc. They stand up to 14.2 hands, weighing up to 750 or 900 pounds. Some of them are horses of quality, endurance, and intelligence, and make good riding animals.

These horses are very useful for herding cattle, often showing an intelligence and agility that is wonderful and frequently disconcerting to the rider. They also furnish some of the best material for polo work that can be found, especially when mares of good type are crossed with small Thoroughbred sires. However, the cow pony that will make a good polo pony is not easily found. It is the exception, not the rule, that satisfies the buyer and brings the long prices. In such instances, the pony would not go on the market under the same conditions as the ordinary ranger. He is the exception, but an exception that serves a valuable purpose for illustrating the possibilities of the best types of range stock.

SADDLERS AND DRIVERS.

These horses are the first as a range class that may show breeding. The grades of coach, Standard-bred, and Thoroughbred sires will come