Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-02-25
THE HORSE.

Inc 1OllOWlng Is from an ADDRESS
by W. r. Duncan, of Illinois, before
the Indiana State Board of Agricul.
ture. Some of the views advanced
may not meet with general accept
ance, as, for instance, those concern,
ing draught horses; but he is to be
excused for his preference Tor mules,
having had large experience in their
use:
OF all animals the horse is the
most intelligent, and renders man the
most assistance. Although all of the
different families that are now bred
and in use for all the purposes to
which man has applied them are from
the same original source, such has
been the influence of climate, educa-
ton and breeding, that there are as
many classes of horses to-day in the
country as there are purposes for
which they are used. | propose to
notice these classes briefly, with a
view to their practical value as at
present bred and used in this coun-
try.
The thoroughbred horse, as he is
termed, or that class bred principally
for the turf, is rather high melted,
and too light III the bone to be very
valuable horse for any other purpose,
except to cross with other breeds
that are sluggish, coarse in their gen
eral formation, deficient in endurance
aud unable to render service in warm
climates. AS there is nothing practi-
cal in horse-racing, | will not dwell
on his value for that purpose, but
simply state that all the money any
one of them wins for his owner only
makes some one else poorer to the
same extent, and further, democrat
ICES the owner by Increasing the de
sire to become wealthy at the expense
OF the sporting world without en-
gaging IN such business as contrib
utcs to the permanent wealth Of the
whole people.
The heavy draught horse of this
country, as we see him at our agri-
cultural fairs, at the present time, is
not native of this climate. They
have been imported from France,
England and Scotland, where they
have been bred for years, for heavy,
slow work, principally in the cities,
on hard, paved streets. That class
of work has heretofore been done in
this country by the mule, and for
which he is better adapted in my
Judgment than any horse, for the rea-
son that he can do more work during
his life, either light or heavy, at a
less expense to his owner and in a
more satisfactory manner. As the
breeding and use Of this class Of
horses is yet an experiment III this
country, l will give no opinion as to
the value to be derived from his use,
but simply state that doubt the pro-
priety of introducing so many into
the country, or of our agricultural
societies giving them SO much en-
enlargement until it is practically
demonstrated that they are to be a
permanent source of wealth. They
are a class OF horses that never can
come into general use in this country,
for the reason that the American will
never become slow enough in his
own nature to use such horse for
general purposes. Neither can they
stand the heat OF our Southern eli
mate, in consequence OF their amount
Of flesh and blood. They can only
be bred successfully or protitably in
such numbers as may be required for
heavy work IN the Northern cities,
where the teaming is done by men
Of foreign birth entertaining preju-
dice against the mule.
The class of horses bred and known
in this country as the roadster is at
present very popular class. They
are tor light draft, or for quick bus
mess on the road to a light vehicle,
a horse of value; but it becomes n
serious question whether he is Of
such value as to justify our agricult-
ural societies (such of them, at least,
as were organized for a legitimate
purpose) to allow themselves and the
community tie be made horse jockeys
of, in order that their value to the
sporting class may be determined.
i their popularity is based upon their
value for useful, practical purpose,
then it is not proper that the farmer
who breeds them should receive the
encouragement from the agricultural
societies of the country rather than
the Jockey who trains them for the
track? This class OF horses has been
so bred as to cause the blood Of the
thoroughbred racc-horse to largely
predominant in their VEINS, many Of
them containing crosses Of the
Canadian PAGER, giving them knee
action, as it is termed, enabling them
to trot with speed and ease to them
selves, that being the preferable gait
in harness.
The class known as the saddle
horse is being greatly and shame
fully neglected by the breeders and
the agricultural societies of the count
ry. If r2orc Of them were bred there
would be less use for buggies, and
many of our ladies would enjoy bet
ter health, as no exercise conducts
more to a lady's health than horse
back ride III the open ar. Exercise
on the back Of u pleasant-gDing
horse is always much to be enjoyed
and is often the most convenient
way Of doing business, while the
horse possessing the best saddle
gaits is often quite as well adapted
to general use as the other
The general purpose horse, or that
class possessing more Of the qualities
for which the horse is valuable to
the entire community, is the horse Of
the age, the class to which our agri-
cultural societies should offer the
most cEcouragement, for the reason
that he is the horse of the poor man
as well as the rich. That portion Of
our people that own no more than
one or two horses, must use them for
all purposes for which they use
horses at all. Such is the case with
many people in the country, and
with majority Of those in the city.
For this reason the farmers should