Equine Discrimination

[major bill]

I found this today and thought it was a shocking example of equine discrimination. Horses were discriminated against based on color, sex and age. The knaves would also seem to discriminate based on weight and height and certainly discriminated based on physical disabilities. Is there no limit to their wicked villainy?

Detroit Advertiser and Tribune, March of 1863 this advertisement was run. The army was looking to purchase 4,400 horses for $94.50 to $106.25 each. It appears no crowbait,, broomtail or buckjumper need apply.

The horses for the artillery must be sound and from 15 ½ to 16 hands high, between 5 and 9 years of age, of dark color, and free from all defects, well broken to harness, compactly built, and to weigh not less than 1,100. No mares will be received.

 

[redbob]

I found this today and thought it was a shocking example of equine discrimination. Horses were discriminated against based on color, sex and age. The knaves would also seem to discriminate based on weight and height and certainly discriminated based on physical disabilities. Is there no limit to their wicked villainy?

Detroit Advertiser and Tribune, March of 1863 this advertisement was run. The army was looking to purchase 4,400 horses for $94.50 to $106.25 each. It appears no crowbait,, broomtail or buckjumper need apply.

The horses for the artillery must be sound and from 15 ½ to 16 hands high, between 5 and 9 years of age, of dark color, and free from all defects, well broken to harness, compactly built, and to weigh not less than 1,100. No mares will be received.

Later in the war, artillery horses were bringing the premium price of $170.00 while all others topped out at $160.00. Mares were not accepted because of the possibility of them becoming pregnant and therefore unserviceable.

 

[Stony]

Crowbait (worthless horse), scrub (about like crowbait), fox food (also about like crowbait), broomtail (mustang), ridgerunners (also mustangs), spindle legs (TB), steed, cob, hay burner, courser (steeplechaser?), remuda (herd of saddle horses), farm chunk (small mult-purpose draft horse), mount, Rocky Mountain Canary (donkey), longears (mule), charger (war horse), wheeler (rear hitch horse), swing (middle hitch horse), leader (front hitch horse), bell mare, palfrey.

 

[donna]

A good book on Horses and Mules in the war is "Horses and Mules In the Civil War" by Gene C. Armistead. One chapter is titled "Costs, Preferences, Transportation and Training".

Armistead writes: "The sex of the animal was never a consideration except solely by preference of an officer or general. The sex of a horse is mentioned almost as frequently as the color and "my mare" (a female horse) or "my stallion" (a male horse) are common references. Often a horse is simply referred to as "he" which could indicate either a stallion or a gelding (a castrated horse). There are at least two instances of mares being accompanied in war by their colts. Gen. Robert E. Lee was sick to hear of his horse from the Mexican War, Grace Darling, being seen on the Virginia peninsula ridden by a "Yankee" with her colt following along. The 3rd Richmond Howitzers of the Confederate Army had a mare whose colt followed her."

From "Horses and Mules In The Civil War", by Gene C. Armistead, McFarland & Company , Inc., Publishers, 2013, page 29-30.

 

[John Davison]

I found this today and thought it was a shocking example of equine discrimination. Horses were discriminated against based on color, sex and age. The knaves would also seem to discriminate based on weight and height and certainly discriminated based on physical disabilities. Is there no limit to their wicked villainy?

Detroit Advertiser and Tribune, March of 1863 this advertisement was run. The army was looking to purchase 4,400 horses for $94.50 to $106.25 each. It appears no crowbait,, broomtail or buckjumper need apply.

The horses for the artillery must be sound and from 15 ½ to 16 hands high, between 5 and 9 years of age, of dark color, and free from all defects, well broken to harness, compactly built, and to weigh not less than 1,100. No mares will be received.

Shocking!

 

[whitworth]

Equine discrimination!!!!!

A little late to that party. Over a million horses and mules died in the war. Why R.E. Lee said he lost half his artillery horses and half his cavalry horses in Pennsylvania.
According to British soldier Lt. Col. Fremantle, the Confederates on the trip to PA had only three pounds of corn, daily, to feed the artillery horses.
Battle Book historians ever really covered that field.

 

[redbob]

Equine discrimination!!!!!

A little late to that party. Over a million horses and mules died in the war. Why R.E. Lee said he lost half his artillery horses and half his cavalry horses in Pennsylvania.
According to British soldier Lt. Col. Fremantle, the Confederates on the trip to PA had only three pounds of corn, daily, to feed the artillery horses.
Battle Book historians ever really covered that field.

An artillery horse's life was measured in months after it was put into service.

 

[donna]

According to Gene Armistead in his book ""Horses and Mules In The Civil War", 3, 000,000 equines served in the war. Those equines killed, wounded and who died of disease were 1.500.ooo or roughly 50 percent. They suffered greatly. However, the Civil War could not have been fought for so long a period over so extensive an area without the horses and mules. May they all rest in piece for their courage and hard work.

From: "Horses and Mules In The Civil War", Gene C. Armistead.

 

[OldGreyMare]

Well, I have a hard time considering it a case of discrimination when applied to a horse. While the U.S. Cavalry didn't start actively promoting the structured breeding/selection of remounts (and to a lesser extent, artillery horses) until well after the Civil War, coming up with scientific standards based on suitability/performance as it were, even at that time it was noted (or beginning to be) that a certain type of horse was more suitable for military service if it could be found (Europe was already doing this by that time it should also be noted, so this may have had an effect).
You have to go with what works -- those standards are pretty close to what the USC eventually adopted as standards, then it's pretty safe to say the CW guys had sort of started figuring out what worked the best.

Interesting note though: TBs were considered THE horse for improvement of remounts; odd how they are now considered spindly-legged and fragile now (which honestly I think is a reputation they don't deserve...their still considered a sport horse go to).

 

[major bill]

May the poor beasts who rest in piece, also rest in peace as well.

 

[OldGreyMare]

It's been a trade off. On one hand, the use of horses by the military was been an enormous boon for overall horsemanship and horse culture (we wouldn't think about horses as we do today without it, and it certainly contributed greatly to better standards all the way around -- so horses today have a much better life because of it), but warfare surely did eat up those poor devils.

Of course, war isn't exactly easy on much of anything.

 

[James B White]

Interesting note though: TBs were considered THE horse for improvement of remounts; odd how they are now considered spindly-legged and fragile now (which honestly I think is a reputation they don't deserve...their still considered a sport horse go to).

I suspect it had to do with the races that they were bred for. A five-mile race will eliminate any weak-legged horse. Add in all-day transportation usage for horses that weren't bred for racing, and weak legs would soon be bred out. But now, a thoroughbred that can win at a mile or so is worth far more than one that can win at five miles.

 

[Patrick H]

Color might have been a factor, too. I'm not saying that from certain knowledge. I'm only speculating.

 

[OldGreyMare]

That may have something to do with it -- most of the national hunt style horses have sadly fallen out of favor. Although I think a lot of the "Thoroughbreds are weak legged" is more a modern stereotype than an actuality. Even racing over a mile is incredibly tough on a horse -- in fact, due to the younger age at first start (most TBs now have to be up and racing at 2, which means they get started undersaddle prior to that) and emphasis on early speed, it might be even tougher on them now. This most likely contributes to the breakdowns seen in racing now which fuels the stereotype (which shouldn't really hold considering that comparing racing to other uses is like comparing apples to oranges -- a 100 mile endurance race is taxing, but taxing in a totally different way than a 1 mile sprint). It has also trimmed away at the gene pool, which never does anything any good (if only one small population out of an already small population dominates, then the odds of structural weaknesses goes up).
Most of the off track horses we get in, if they've managed to come off the track even relatively unscathed, are overall a very tough legged lot (my family is into eventing -- which isn't exactly an easy going sport). And TBs are still seen as a necessary component to breeding sport horses.

 

[K Hale]

Exactly how old was Grace Darling when Lee brought her home from Mexico?

When did he see the Yankee riding her with her colt following?

 

[OldGreyMare]

I'm not sure there's ever been an age given for the mare, but guesstimating it, she was likely a mature horse of around 6 at that time she was brought up from Mexico, and that would mean she was pretty aged at the other incident.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I'm not sure there's ever been an age given for the mare, but guesstimating it, she was likely a mature horse of around 6 at that time she was brought up from Mexico, and that would mean she was pretty aged at the other incident.

I thought you would like this thread.
Great information from everyone.

 

[ole]

Later in the war, artillery horses were bringing the premium price of $170.00 while all others topped out at $160.00. Mares were not accepted because of the possibility of them becoming pregnant and therefore unserviceable.

DISCRIMINATION!

 

[K Hale]

So cute. If they used a mare as a cavalry mount, would it be called b... No, no, I won't go there.

Most of Stuart's horses were mares, by the way.

 

[ole]

Mares were preferred. Geldings were acceptable. Stallions were verboten as they could not be controlled when a mare came into heat.