Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-10-11
demand Is far in excess of the supply. Dur

uClhDAlu 30 ~ III ~ IF
ing the past ten or fifteen years the high
prices trotters rave commanded have turn
ed most of our farmers trotting mad, to the
neglect of the old style of coach horses.
Since the close of the war the number OF
persons in the eastern and northearn States
who are rich enough to keep horses has in
creased to such an extent that the demand
for coach, carriage and coupe horses has far
outstripped the supply. This can be seen
by a visit to any of our large cities. The
American people nave a love or fondness
for a fine horse, and as soon as they acquire
a little wealth they want q carriage and
horses. The demand for fine coach and
carriage horses for years to come Will De SO
great that it will pay handsomely to breed
and rear them. Besides, England is OPEN
ing up a market for fine horses, and we
would not be surprised to see the European
demand for Cine horses take great impor-
lance, like the trade for beef and cattle.
The introduction of the Clydesdale and
Norman-Percheron into this section of the
country would not help, but rather injure
our breed coach horses. They are too large,
their bones too spongy and soft to stand
hard %macadamized roads. TO gain style,
finish and gamey coach teams, it is necessa-
ry to have a strong infusion of thorough
bred blood. Many trotting sires scattered
through the State of Kentucky possess all
the requisites to breed the fine coach and
coupe horse but we cannot name fhem for
fear Of giving offence to some extremely
sensitive people. But what is wanted in a
sire of coach horses is plenty OF substance,
well placed, deep and well proportional
body, strong and clean bone under the
open knee, sound and tough feet, with fine
knee action, lifting their feet high, and
ranging in height from fifteen three to six
teen and a half hands. 1t will not be out Of
place to say that Alexander's Edwin For
est and his descendants furnish the best spe-
cimens of this class of horse that we have
hud for years. This strain mingled with
mares possessing a strong infusion of thor
oughbred blood would make a most capital
cross and produce an elegant and stylish
coach and harness horse.
The great difficulty in matching horses or
finding q pair of good matched horses is
we'll known to dealers. Single horses Of
some style and finish can be found, but the
great difficulty is in matching them. This
is owing to the miscellaneous way in which
horses have been bred for the last twenty
years. A matched team, sixteen hands
high, well made, with style and finish, are
hard to find, and command a fancy price /;
whereas five and twenty years ago any num-
Der of such teams could be picked up in
Kentucky. Another cause of this lack of
coachers is owing to the mania for breed
ing trotters which have bred far beyond
their demand. If farmers will turn their at
tention to breeding fine coach horses they
will find a ready market, save the expense
they annually incur in developing the speed
OF young trottcrs and do to themselves and
the State great profit.-Ksntucky Lire Stock
Record. 8 9aa#
STOCK ITEMS.
In 1916 Great Britain imported 131, 495