The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-15
agricultural department.
DNDUcTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN


What Horses shall we Raise.
Having been as great an admirer Of
horses all our days as our friend Col.
Stowell, and having always been a close
observer of the results of breeding them,
not only iu Vermont, but at the south
and other States and with not little
personal experience in the use of the diff
ferent kinds or families, we are compelled
to differ with him widely in the advice
with which he closes his exceedingly in
tercsting and able paper, and also from
the soundness of many Of his reasonngs
and conclusions, and we propose to state
some OF the reasons and give some of the
facts that have come under our own OBJ
servations to substantiate the correctness
of our conclusions. In the first place we
think the cases brought forward to prove
the correctness of the change in the
Co.'s. views as to crossing small upon
large animals are just such exceptional
cases as always will follow the breeding
of large sires upon small dams, and are
always the marked cases that attract at
tention by coming prominently before the
public, while the large number, or by far
the majority Of the produce from such
crosses, are never known to the public
outside Of their own immediate neighbor-
hood. Again with very few exceptions
we do not think the very horses he has
named as great successes in such breed
ing, are desirable as horses of all work,
gentlemens driving or family horses, and
fit was not for their extraordinary speed
upon the track, they would never have
been cited as examples Of successful
breeding by any one. And we think up
on critical examination, large portion
of them would be found already unsound,
or kept from becoming so by the most
careful care and management and were
they put to the same everyday drudgery,
and have the same care of the real road
or family horse, they would many of
them soon have to be handed of for re-
pairs, as have some of the very ones nam
ed from the trotting track Really the
very result that would be expected
by the violation of so old and plain
a rule of breeding, is the production
Of loose, i'll proportional joints, that
would be very sure to show their defects,
and give way upon the first strain, or as
soon as they were called to exert their
powers in any useful service. Most Of
the horses named as successful examples
OF Col. Stowell's theory have been foalcd
with great expectations and have had
the best of care, and developed to their
greatest possible capacity, not as it was
in the case Of Ethan Allen constantly
overtaxed in his cothood until his posi-
bilities will never be known.
The opinion Of many of the best judges
is, that had he had the same careful
handling in his younger days as Dexter
that renowned trotter would not have
stood so long at the head Of the trottlng
turf.
Again we must differ from the conclus.
ion so general that tall large horses possess
such lasting powers in excess or beyond
that posscssedby moderate sized or even
small or@s, We really think the facts
prove directly the contrary, and if the
nature Of things would permit test OF
endurance upon the road, or at some use
full occupation, such as we really need
horses for, between the very celebrated
horses Col. Stowell has named, and a
select number of Morgan's, Black Hawks,
Canadians, or even Indian ponies, he 50
Unfortunately classes together where
each might together endure the same dali
y wear and tear, and each receive the
same common care, feed, and attention,
for series of months or years, the re-
suit would be such as would most certain
ly stop some of this talk about staying
qualities, endurance, &C., from that side
at least. The Wanted endurance of the
lG hand horses vanishes quickly when
called upon to follow the Indian on hjs
ponies, or scout with mustangs Of the
southwestern deserts. IS an exampl, Of
endurance we would mention the fact
that no large horse could ever stand
compaign with Flora Temple, and she is
a small horse, and as we sincerely believe
of Morgan stock, We also believe that
n Morgan mare Of moderate size was the
first trotter that ever accomplished the
feat Of trotting 100 miles in ten hour or
less. No one we think who has lived in
Vermont and also in other states. and
has been an observer Of horses, hut has
been struck with the vast difference in
the proportion Of sound to the uusomd
horses found in Vermont, over other
states. This certainly cannot be a.cribed
to our driving slower, or having better
roads, because just the reverse is The fact,
but must De really ascribed to ho fact
that our horses although small are not
laid out any larger than they can be well
finished up, and being of better material
they are more lasting, and endure better
than those of other states. lgain we
think Col. Stowell docs that Icrchcron
great injustice in chasing him with the
other draft horses, as requiri g such rich
feed and in unlimited quantfic- be can
not have any personal kuoul- edge Of the
breed, or he would have known that
moderate sized Percheron, would do a
much larger amount Of work, and thrive
well on an amount of iocd, that would
prove greatly inadequate to keep l6I
hand coarse horse, in Respectable condi-
ton, and the cost of raising twelve
hundred pound compact Pcl.h.rou would
in the everage prove much ]. ''an l6
hand driving or track horrc oHio the
4
favor Of the Percherons and he would
at much earlier age be able f. ,arn his
living without injury Or le,>"uing his
value in the end He natures at much
earlier age than tall coarse bonod horses.
A personal use of Percherons Tor four
years taught US much Of their value, as
well as their adaptation to all common
labor, the cheapncss with which ihol can
be raised, and kept, and the almost ,er-
tainty Of their proving sound and asc-ul,
that has given US very high opinion of