The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-03-09
HOW 10 RAISE TRcTTERs.
Mr.. McKimmin Tells How this Spe-
oies Of Animal should be Bred
and Dsveloped.

the recent meeting OF the Stat'
Stock Breeders Association:
Preliminary to a discussion of thl
breeding and development of trotters
we will begin with the stallion, and tina
we may Selcct as a sire, either to breeC
our one or two mares to, as in the cas-
of the small farmer; or one to purchas,
and place at the head of breeding es
tablishment of greater or less preten
tions. Appearance is of great impor
tance for horse to possess; the creates
intrinsic value must please the eye; il
height, should not be less than 153 hands
16 is preferable, because horses of tina
height are more in demand for genera
harness purposes than those not so tall
Head should be, e,above all things, intelli
gent and mild in expression, for the
face of horse is even more than that o.
his name, indicative of his nature anC
disposition. A stallion with a malicious
look and vengeful eye L would no
breed to, let other things be as they may
for the great money that may be il
breeding trotters is in the demand fol
kind and handsome driving horses; and
to-day speed alone will not sell a horse
except at low price. Those who are
able and willing to pay fancy price fol
a horse he must have good looks and 8
good disposition; consequently, in select
ing a stallion, be sure you have good
temper, for temper is impaired to the
offspring, just as surely as any other trait
or quality. The head should be carried
well, and the neck long and not heavy;
shoulders should be narrow and oblique.
ribs arched and deep, loin strong and not
too much depressed, with a straight
rump and tail set pretty high. About
the legs too much care cannot be taken.
"The arms must be long and the knees
must be strong, "is an old but very true
saying; the cannon bones short, with
plenty of substance; thighs must have
length and the hooks must have strength
is another equally applicable quotation.
Below and behind the hook, or rather on
the back part of the hook, we must, if
we would have the soundest and best
legs, have no indication of curving or of
curb. From the point of the hook,
which should be well defined, to the an
kle joint, should and must be straight
Pasterns must be yielding to some ex-
tent, and to 60 into hoof in way that
will appear symetrical and well proper
tiened.
If the animal pleases you, the next
question is, can he trot himself?SIf he
can so much the better; in fact, would
not breed to horse that could not trot
fast, unless he had been well tried, and
his produce had in a great many instan-
ces, proven themselves trOtters. If he
can go, then the questions comes up, has
he or did he have bottom? Did he
show the ability to trot out long races,
and to be able and fit to trot under any
and all circumstances If so, he is all
the more worthy of your patronage.
As to the blood lines in your sire, and
1-m, too, for that matter, / would say
once for all, stick to the trotting families
Have your stallion with as many trot-
ting crosses as possible, the more the bet
ter. My knowledge of the trotting
views of others, or from hearing others
talk. But it extends over a period of
more than twenty years of close study
Of the subject and immediate contact
with the animals themselves. I learned
what little I may know from seeing to
the feeding and caring for them in the
stable, and from riding behind them on
the track and road; and, l say, the in
equal to the ability to trOt, and we can
not expect to get the inclination to trot
from blood that has been bred and
,aught to run for hundreds of years.
My experience teaches me that the
stallion is a sure producer if given plen-
" of exercise, and every one will agree
hat the produce is likely to be more
Iseful. He should have plenty of room
n the stall, plenty of the best food, not
liberal allowance of green
ood in its season; for nature makes but
ew mistakes. and furnishes all animals
With what they most need and at the
line they most need it. Plenty of good
,rass, as clover, cut and fed in the
table, and plenty of oats and hay, with
rom three to ten miles exercise every
lay (always excepting Sunday with
lively rush at top speed now and then to
leep the speed alive in him, for some
# what is in a sire at the time of copula-
ion, be it good or bad, he is likely to
mpart to his offspring. Two services a
lay-morning and evening should be |
but have known more than |
hat done, and without apparent injury. !
The brood mare should, like the stall |
ion, have size-not necessarily quite |
o large as the horse-from 15 to 16 |
lands. Without going into minutie, /
will say she should have the mild eye, |
he pleasing form that will attract the |
ye and crafty the taste. Such a moth |
r is much more likely to produce a |
andsome, high priced son or daughter |
han some of the eve necked, misshapen |
ng-backed, sickle-hocked pedigreed
mares that the owner will bring to your |
tallion, and sit and bore you and con- |
ume your time for an hour, telling you |
bout her and what he expects her to pro- |
uce. You feel like you don't want to be |
and aequiesce in what he says, |
7hen you really think he must be cra1
y to expect anything from such a brute |
5 that.
In this climate, with our mild winters |
nd cheap means of making comfortable |
helters for our brood mares, / don't |
hink the foal can come any too early, |
nd would advise our farmers to breed |
ny time after the middle of February, |
nd if the mare should produce from the |
Irst service, the foal will come after the |
irst of January, and by April, when the |
rass comes, it will be old enough to be |
by it. The treatment of the |
mare, while carrying the foal should be |
iberal; she should have plenty of fnutri- |
ious food and good pasture TO run on, |
not needed for use on farm and road. |
Some of the very best foals / have
ver seen were from mares used regular |
y on the farm in the plow, in the wagon |
nd for ordinary riding or driving; and |
he small farmer who has but one or |
wo mares and is compelled to use them |
1 his farm work, need not feel discour-
ged; for think his chances fer a fOal |
re fully as good as his more wealthy |
leighbor who lets his mares run at will |
n the grass.
But those mares that are worked |
While carrying the foal, should be used |
n moderation, and not put 70 violent
xercise and subjected to rough treat
nent or neglect. She should have com
ortable quarters and plenty OF food TO
.eep her in fine order.
Those that are not used should be
,ept out Of the rain and bad weather,
nd fed so that they may feel thrifty
md strong, for the condition Of the
mother during Pregnaey viii surely tell
IA the condition Of the offspring after
)irth-
When time is near for foaling, the
mare should have a roomy stable.if early
n the year, but if in the warm spring
months when the weather is good she