Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-02-19
Westminster Farmers Club.
Feb. sth, 1869.

Subject THE best horse,-embrac-
ing some of the treatments to perfect
and keep him so to realize the most mon
ey from him."
w. r. KIMBALL. If l must start the
wheel, or set the ballin motion, / do SO by
saying that as understand the question,
it means all things combined, keeping,
treatment, etc; involving the same prin-
ciple, and covering the same ground as
occupied in discussing the merits of the
best breed Of cows, which occupied our
attention at the two last meetings.-
Now we must start right; we must have
the right dam, and the right sire, in or
der to produce the right progeny. Twen-
ty years ago our horses were two sizes
larger than now, the reason is, we have
been selling our best mares, those rangy,
of good heighth, a little coarse. perhaps,
(not Objectionable have been sought for
and purchased in the market, the very
kind that we shall keep to propagate
with, for / hold that while the dam should
be large and rangy, the sire may be more
compact, and of less size. / would have
a horse from fifteen to sixteen hands
high, good limbs, long neck, weighing
from nine hundred and fifty to one thou
sand and two hundred pounds; depend
ing upon the business for which we wish
to put him, if upon the road, q doctors
horse. for instance, take the former heft,
if for draft the latter. Now if we start
with the colt. in taking him from his
mother at weaving time, fail not to keep
him growing during the first year; and
then not stop, keep him growing at the
same time handle and accustom him
to harness and multitude of other uses
for which he is designed, and when his
proper size has been reached he is ready
for business, and you will have fitted
him one year sooner for market; ever
aiming to breed size, style and speed. l
mean at least for speed, good roadsters,
and if they possess more than that, so
much the better. Good draft horses
sell much oftener than fast horses. Again
the feet of colts should be cared for all
times in them year, keepthe trimed atthe
toe; by proper attention you may grow
a very desirable foot, avoiding the low
heal or fiat foot. As to shoeing, we think
we are right, but a portion of the cause
for so many bad fet upon horses, is the
fiaultofthe BLACKSMITH, and part to we own
ers of the horse we are too much in a
hurry, it takes time to do work well.-
"Haste makes waste" from the first nail
hole forward, blacksmiths do not take
off enough from the foot. In regard to
what kind of shoes, for all kinds will not
suit every horse, no more than spectacles
of the same kind will suit every eye,
most of the shoeing is done with too
small shoe, when, in fact, the shoe
should be prominent with the exterior
of the foot instead of working the foot
down to the shoe. Again the habit is in
using too short a shoe, also bringing the
heals too near together, the whole tend
ency being to contract the foot, instead
of giving size and fullness. The "frog"
shoe we have heard so much about, is
the best shoe ever made for some horses
good for contracted feet, but not fer
founded.
ALEXANDER WATKINS. DR.. Rarey
shod my horse Of contracted feet and it
greatly improved him; he used the
"frog" shoe on the forefeet with his pro-
cess of stuffing, he stands well, seems in
no pain, don't rest his feet, gains flesh,
the foot seems to grow and improve, APP
pears healthy, has been shod four or five
weeks.
FENELoN ARNOLD. / endorse the re-
marks of Mr. Watkins.
N. G. PIERCE. / think we should
first regard size in the horse, if he is per-
feet in his anatomy, and true in the har-
ness, yet very much under size he will
be of but little value. True, at one time
the little Morgan horse was sought for,
like fancy bonnets of the present day,
but they have gone by, next the Messen-
ger. Now l think we had better nei-
ther go in for fast or fancy horses, for
there can be no profit in it, of those who
make it point to breed and traffic in
fast or fancy horses, majority lose
money.
NATHAN FISHER. / don't profess to
know much about horse, yet / can tell
what kind of horse l like; and if
were to select from the many breeds, /
would take the so called Pennsylvania
horse of noble size, capable of hauling
the load If we, as farmers, raise fan
cy breed of horse, my observation has