Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-08-14

Shall Farmers Raise Trofting Horses-
The question is often asked by the
farmers OF the West, .eWill il pay 10
raise trotting horscs?" Our opinion
upon this question is, that usually it
will not; in exceptional cases, it will.
The farmer who has only the mongreI.
common mares OF the country. cannot
afford to pay the prices demanded for
the services Of y .frst-class trotting
stallion; and ifflle should decide to in
cur this expense, in ninety-nine cases
out of hundred he will be disaIr-
pointed in the result. Should he pal-
ronize any of the cheap, quick-step-
ping, mongrel little stations with
which the country abounds, in the
hope OF raising a trotter, he ID almost
certain to- be disappointed, aud the pro-
geny VIII DC comparatively worthless.
true, there is now and then an excep
tiOnal case, when horse of unknown
lineage has proven valuable trotter;
but the chances for success in this stvie
of breeding are about equal to those of
drawing the capital prize in the sHa-
vana Legal LOTTERY" by investing in
tickets in that institution.
But if mares of unmistakable aud
decided trOtting action, showing points
of good breeding and strong individ.
uality, can be Obtained, and a stallion
knoacn to be deeply bred in trotting
strains, and showing decided trottine
action himself, is within reach, then
the chances are that it will pay to
attempt to breed trotters. And ii, IN
addition to the foregoing, the mares
are known to possess agood share of
the blood of some of the well-estab-
lished trotting families--thc Messen-
gers, Bashaws, Morgans, Clays, Pilots,
or Mambrinos the judicious Sc
lection of a stallion is pretty certain
to produce satisfactory results. IL
need not be expected that every foaf
thus produced will be q world.
beater," because only the fastest among
the fast are the winners; but good
trotting and road horses will usually
be the result, and you are in the legiti-
mate succession for winner. But il
will not do for the farmer or his boys
1 to spend much time or money in train
l ing the foals thus produced. 1t will
be found more profitable TO sell these
wsll-bred youngsters at fair, remuner-
at;ve rates, and leave the training t.
the professionals who have the reqnis-
lite skill to prepare them for the track.
1t has been remarked that sthe Amer
lean trotter is the creation of the
American trainer" It requires skill.
judgment and perseverance to develop
the highest rate of speed in the trof-
ting horse. Training trotting horses
has become profession, and We would
not recommend farmers to spend their
time in competition with those who
make this their sole business.
Under the circumstances above de-
scribed, with welI-bred mares and =
good stallion, and selling OFF the fosls
when young, the farmer can searcels
engage in A more profitable business
than in breeding trotting horses. B'l,
the great mass of farmers, owning on-
ly the mongrel, clumsy mares of The
country, will lind more certain profit
in breeding large horses, patronizing
the Norman or Clydesdale stations,
or q large, well-formed thoroughbred
if within reach, producing good drari
| and coach horses that always find 4
ready sale at remuneretive prices
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