Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-03-15
LIV STOCK.
HOW TO BREED THE HORSE.

LII SccHiS W lllc tIldU dU Cillo tlfIO VI yCdi ~
is necessary for us farmers to- exchange
ideas in regard to breeding and improving
our stock: and as horse breeding generally
comes first in the spring, [ will attempt to
give your readers my views, hoping that
others will do the same in regard to other
stock.
In the first place, we must have a def
mite plan-an ''ideal animal" We must
breed for some settled object, and select and
act accordingly. My ideal is an animal
FOR all farm work, riding, pleasure driving
of medium size, sound, fine action, and
quiet enough to be trusted with our wives
and children, lively, spirited, etc.
Now, how can we get such animals? We
certainly must raise them, or pay exorbi-
tant prices if we purchase. | shall endeav-
Or to give my naodus ope1andi Of breeding
such animals. .
The starting idea is, we need and must
have blood on the farm as well as on the
track, and we must not expect our ideal ami
NAL from scrub stock. We will select a
mare for our purpose. First, she must be
young, in full vigor of youth, sound and
healthy !; she must be roomy in the body,
hips long and wide, large chest, deep, in the
girth, quarters heavy and strong, fine head
but her neck may be a little heavy when
compared to the thoroughbred her legs
must be short, wide, clean broad knee !;
rather upright hoof--in short, a low, heavy
set mare, of gentle disposition, and should
be about three-fourths thoroughbred. If
pure, her offspring will be a little too light
and nervous for the farm, and of course,
when bred, must be in,good health and con-
dition, and should weigh from 1000 to 1000
pounds.
Now, a word for the sire. Tie must be
thoroughbred. and we must be sure of his
purity for, if not pure, we can never reach
our ideal farm animal. Choose a horse in
every way sound; short back and long be-
low; close ribbed up; rather high withers !;
broad loins, broad deep chest; high muscu-
lar crest; fine bony, well-set head clear
andsprominet eyes; small, active ears. and
broad ~nostrils; the bones Of his legs must
be large, flat and free from blemish' and the
sinews straight, sitting out from the bones.
and hard and wiry to the touch. He should
also have a goodrecord; ifa four or five
miler," all the better, and.if retired from
the running turf with a fine record, all the
surer of winning our prize animal.
In regard to the adaptation of sire and
dam, we simply say, select both as near per-
feet as possible, as described abovey. about
fifteen to sixteen hands high, and of near
the same form,as possible, except the mare
q little coarser.
After the mare is in foal, remember we
are trying to carry out a definite plan, the
object of which is a superior farm horse ;
hence we must take care of the mare and
foal. The care of the mare, while in foal, is
simply: Keep as you, wouldt if working !;
feed oats and bran rather thanYcorn, as they
make bone and muscle,. while corn loads
with fat. Proportion the, oats and bran so
rs to keep the mare in good condition, and
bowels loose, but not too fat; give her eXer-
else, q largelot or enclosure to run in+-and
You can work her for five or six months, if
necessary, without injuring her in the least.
We now come to the treatment Of the
mare and young colt, and also the breaking
and management of our improved animal
but, for fear our article is tiresome, we will
leave the subject fol- another time.-Cor.
RxraI World.
VERMONT AND OTHER MERIN0ss
Repeated in-and-in breeding, on the same
farms, will degenerate poultry, swine,. and