The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-09-11
"A M & HoM ME
Shall Farmers Raise TrOtGinE
Horses

Horses:
The question is often asked by the
farmers of the west, evil it pay to raise
trottinp horses?" Our opinion upon this
question is, that usually it will not; in
exceptional cases, it will. The farmer
who has only the mongrel, common mares
Of the country, cannot afford to pay the
prices demanded for the services of first
class trotting stallion and if he should
decide to incur this expense, in ninety
nine cases out of hundred he will be
disappointed in the result: Should he
patronize any Of the cheap quick-stepping
Inongrel little stations with which the
country abounds, in the hope of raising
- trotter he is almost certain to be disap
pointed, and the progeny will be compare
lively worthless. True there is now and
then exceptional cases, when a horse of
unknown lineage has proven valuable
trotter; but the chances for success in
this style Of breeding are about equal to
those Of drawing the capital prize in the
a. Royal Havana Lottery" by investing
in tickets in that institution.
But if mares of unmistakable and de-
cided trotting action, showing points of
good breeding ahd strong individuality,
can be obtained, and stallion known to
lie deeply bred in trotting strains, and
showing decided trotting action himself,
is within reach. then the chances are
that it will pay to attempt to breed trot-
ters. And if, in addition to the forego-
ing, the mares are known to possess a good
share of the blood of some of the we'll
established trotting families-the Messen-
gers, Bashaws, Morgans, Clays, Pilots
or Mambrinos then the judicious selec-
ton of a stallion is pretty certain to pro-
duce satisfactory result. 1t need not be
expected that every foal thus produced
viii prove a "world beaten, because only
the fastest among the fast are the winners;
but good trotters aud road horses will
usually be the result, and you are in the
legitimate succession for winner. But
il will not do for the farmer or his boys
to spend much time or money in training
the foals thus produced. 1t will be found
more profitable to sell these well-bred
Youngsters at fair, remunerative rates.
and leave the training to the professionals
who have the requisite skill to prepare
them for the track. 1t has been remark
Ell that "the American trotter is the erea-
ton of the American trainer. 1t requires
skill, judgment and perseverance to de
velop the highest rate of speed in the
trotting 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.
Unler the circumstances above de-
scribed, with well-bred mares and good
stallion, and selling off the foals when
young, the farmer can scarcely engage in
a more profitable business than in breed
ing horses. But the great mass of farm
ers, owning only the mongrel clumsy
mares of the country, will find more
profit in breeding large horses, patroniz-
ing the Norman or Clydesdale stations,
or large well-formed thoroughbred if
within reach, producing good draft and
coach horses that always find a ready sale
Mt remunerative prices. Journal.