SPECIAL REPORT O O O O O MARKET FOR AMERICAN HORSES F O RE I GN C O UN TRI ES . WA S H I N G T O N N T N E G O VE R N M E N T P R I I G O FFIC . 1 8 9 8 . To the C ongress of the United S tates I transmit herewith for the informat ion and use of the Cong ress a ca S a c is ae communi tion from the ecret ry of Agriculture , whi h com panie d by a report on the market for American horses in foreign countries . W A M M C K N E Y ILLI I L . E E T VE M N N 1 1898 C S O mber . X U I A I , D ece 4 , L E T T E R O F T R A S M I T T A L N . S . D E P T M E N T O F G R C T R E U AR A I UL U , O C E O F T H E S E C R E T R Y FFI A , 12 18 9 Washin ton D . D ecember 8 } g , , P R E S E N T Mr . ID I have the h onor to transmit for your information and that of the Congress of the United States a report consisting of a number of communications on the subject of the d emand for American horses a in cert in countries of Europe . At the time of assuming office as S ecretary of Agriculture I was already much impressed with the necessity of an output abro ad for d our surplus horse pro uction . For some time previous ext raordi naril h ad a d and y low prices prev ile for horses in this country , horse breeders and horse raisers throughout the country were correspond in l d d g y epresse . It is quite possible that in this apparent cause for d a a was a d iscour gement there re lly blessing in isguise , for it is prob ably d u e to these extremely low prices that the first impetus to t h e . d d w a a a d ue . a a foreign em n for Americ n horses s Wh tever the c use , the figures which I have the honor to submit at the close of this com m u nicat ion a ad a a d will show th t the export tr e in Americ n horses , h r ly a om a a o h as ad a d a d d . more th n begun s e five ye rs g , v nce with r pi stri es was a d d My first thought th t to evelop this opening , which presente so u r d a d a was a itself opportunely to o much iscour ge horse r isers , d a d and was d a uty which this Dep rtment owe to them , I convince th t the most useful service it could render them was to gather from all available sources whatever information could be procured as to t h e character and extent of the d emand existing abroad for horses of all n d w a a u n rofit kinds . Without such k owle ge it as obvious th t m ny p a d ad and a a s ble shipments woul be m e , not only c use loss to the hip and d a a d a pers consequent iscour gement , but , by pl cing un esir ble a a d a a a a a d o nim ls , un esir ble t le st from the Europe n st n point , in f reign a d a a a d a d m rkets , iss tisf ction mong foreign buyers woul be gener te nd d l a O pinions unfavorable to the American horses woul resu t , thus d ad perhaps seriously retar ing t h e development of this export tr e , if did it not altogether arrest it . Actuate d by this thought I end eavored to interest our represent atives abroad and American citizens going abroad in the gathering of 3 4 E T T E R O F T R AN M T L S I T A L . a as - inform tion to the extent of the d emand in horse importing c ountries , and as a d and to the v rious kin s of horses wanted in thos e countries , the distinguishing c haracteristics to which foreign buye rs attach a . a e a a a a import nce As r sult , l rge numbe r of c ommunic tions h ve d at a c e and been receive this Dep rtment from a variety of sour s , I a a c d d a wa h ve , fter some reflection , con lu e th t the best y to present this inform ation to the public is to submit all thes e co mm unica a a a tions , in the form of speci l report to you , for tr nsmission to Congress with the recommend ation that that honorable body should d a or er the s me printed for distribution to their constituents . As a ad a su m convenience to the re er of this report , I present here a a d a c d m ry of the inform tion collecte by these v rious orrespon ents , but as each one pursued his own investigations ind epend ently and d a as was a a e a c a presente such f cts he ble to g ther , oft n c omp nying a a n a them with st teme t of his impressions on the subject , I h ve d d a c a a eeme it best to present e ch ommunic tion in full , elimin ting nothing save in the case of a few correspond ents who added other a m tter not strictly pertinent to the subject of this report , viz , the i d emand for American horses in European countries . Follow ng the a a ad d summ ry lre y referre to , I present some tables showing the num ber and value of horses exported from this country to Europe d u r r ffi ing the p ast five years . These figures a e amply su cient to satisfy d a a d a d everyone who stu ies them th t em n exists in Europe , which d afi o rd a a shoul not only encouragement to Americ n horse r isers , but should convinc e them th at it is well worth their while to study cl osely the character of this demand in ord er that they m ay be prepared to can a a meet it . I not reiter te too strongly my conviction th t in this , as i n all a ad d a the other br nches of our export tr e , the nee s , the t stes , and even the fancies of the foreign consumers must be carefully d d and ff d b e ad a d stu ie , every e ort shoul m e by Americ n pro ucers to d a can a d meet them . There is little oubt th t we raise s goo horses and a as a as an a r ise them che ply in this country in y Europe n country , and far more cheaply than in those countries that are obliged to import horses to satisfy their own requirements . a Another point d eserves attention . It is of p ar mount importance that n o diseased animals should by any chance be land ed in foreign d l aw a ports from these shores . Un er the present the uthority to inspect d a and horses for export is veste in this Dep rtment , the Chief of the ‘ Bureau of Animal Industry h as already taken the necessary steps to N o t establish a proper system of inspection . only is this precaution d ue to the foreign buyers who seek to enlarge their trade relations with h d u s is a d u e a . a , but it lso to our reput tion In t ese ys , moreover , when prod ucers in m any countries seem anim ated by a determination to obstruct by every means available to them the imports into their own ca d an a e ce country of Ameri n pro ucts , it becomes bsolute n ssity for us , E T T E R F T RA M T T A L O N S I L . 5 if we are to successfully develop an export trade for any of our pro d a d a a d ucts , to be prep re to gu r ntee their wholesomeness , soun ness , nd d a perfect free om from every sort of contagion . S d e d a d a a r houl Congr ss conclu e , in ccor nce with my e rnest e com me nd at ion a d a , to publish this report for gener l istribution , I h ve the honor to request that not less than copies be placed at the disposal of the Secretary of Agriculture for d istribution through this Department .