Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-09-19
vermont state Fair.
DISCUSSION UPON HORSES.

There was a meeting on Tuesday even.
ing, Sept. 10th, at the Town Hall, Brattle.
boro, for the purpose OF discussing the
question, " What is the most profitable
breed OF horses for Vermont, and how
shall they be bred and trained o.
Mr.. L. T. Tucker OF South Royalton
commenced the discussion by stating the
great Importance to every farmer and
stock breeder in the State Of securing
just such information as was contem.
plated in the question proposed. He
supposed that fully one .ftth OF the whole
money value OF live stock in Vermont
was invested in horses. One the
horses raised in Vermont, Hot more than
one.tourth OF them are used in the State,
the remaining three. .fourths being sold
for use out OF the State. He regarded
the roadster as the best breed OF horses
to be bred and raised in Vermont, and
also the most profitable. The Middle
and Western States can produce better
draft horses than Vermont can, but the
soil and the water OF these hilly regions
are just what are needed to produce feet
and wiry horses for travel on the road.
Mr.. Tucker was OF the opinion that what
may be callen the Vermont breed OF hor-
ses are the best horses to be raised in the
State. He deprecated the custom OF SELL
ing the best stations and brood mares
and keeping the poorest ones. The very
best mares and stations should be kept
for breeding, but il the practice OF sell
ing the best and keeping the poorest is
continued, the State will certainly lose
her prestige in the horse market.
He regarded any breed OF horses less
than fifteen and half hands high and
weighing less than one thousand pounds
as below the present market stand, and
therefore unfit to be raised. II people
raise horses that do not come up to this
standard they will have to search after
customers. It was true that the Nor
gan breed OF horses did not come up to
this standard, but that did not prove
that increased height and weight would
not be an advantage. Attention must
Also be paid in breeding to style and
speed. Within the last few years the de-
mands OF the people in regard to speed
had entirely changed. There are very
few men now who care to buy horse st
any price that cannot trot mile in four
minutes. More money is annually paid
for fast horses within 8 ten mile radius
OF New York than is realized for all the
horses sold in Vermont. People who
raise horses and want to sell them must
raise such horses as people want to buy,
and, therefore, speed must be regarded
by breeders. A first class trotter is 81.
ways first class horse, and the best
trotting horse is the best horse for Yer
mont men to raise. Flora Temple was
formerly kept in livery stable snd was
8 favorite for driving, and Lady Suffolk,
with all her speed, was so gentle that a
woman could harness her and drive her
anywhere. The original Morrill, horse
was worked for two years in an OK cart
Atted up with shafts before his owner
found out that he owned trotter. Just
as long as the American nation is pros.
porous, American people will have
fancy for trotting horses for outdoor re-
creation, and there need be no fear ofthe
market running out. The three things
necessary for a good trotter and a good
horse are energetic disposition, gait, and
docility in harness. Mr.. Tucker ex-
pressed his opinion that faster and bet
ter horses can be raised in Vermont than
In Orange county, New York, or Long
Island, if the proper attention was only
paid. He himself once owned Draco
Prince, and sold him for $3.50, and few
days ago his owner was offered $1,000
for him. He urged the importance OF
forming an association of horse breeders
In Vermont, and he believed that by that
means horses raised and trained here
could be sold st ~ high figures as sny