Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-11-19
Draft Horses.


The following is asynopsis of lengthy
article which appeared in the Chicago
Tribune, consisting of interviews of its
reporters with the leading draft-horse
dealers of America. It was headed as
follows:
breeding of Draft Horseshoe OF
the important Industries of the Day
Experience of Dealers who Handle 40,
600 Horses Annually-Relative Merits
OF Percheron, Clydesdale and English
Horses-Opinions of All Leading Deal
ers in New York and Chicago They
are unanimous in preferring the French
breeds over all others, as they are more
enduring, best dispositioned, stand the
pavements best, and bring higher
prices"
The Tribune reporters were instruct
ed to procure opinions as to the relative
merits of the different breeds of draft
horses being raised in this country and
sold in their markets. The experience
OF dealers who sell perhaps 10000
horses annually directly to those who
buy them to wear out was thus obtain
ed. This information is of immense
value to those engaged in breeding
horses.
Mr.. [. Fl. Dahlman, of New York
City, said: az handle between 5000
and 10000 horses annually. Of the
draft horses I handle, the greater por-
tion-nearly all-are Norman Perch@
ons. These horses are docile, intelli-
gent, easily broken, steady in harness,
powerful and compactly built. They
are short in the back, deep in the body
and broad in the chest. They have the
best feet of any horses in America.
do not want it understood that ali Nor
man horses have these good qualities.
have seen some imported that were as
badly shaped horses as could be found.
Long in the back, narrow wasted and
not worth their freight from France
here. That class of horses is only i'm
ported by people who buy them to sell
and not to breed" In regard to the
Clydesdale horses, Mr.. Dahlnan said
Il will give you no criticism. I prefer
to pass their stable and say nothing
about them. From what / have said
the Tribune readers, I thinF, will IN
derstand what breed of horses would
recommend them to raise"
G. & FL. Hayman, East Oath Street,
New York City, said: ave handle
about 1900 horses year, principally
draft horses of all kinds-French,
Clydesdale, English, and Belgian. We
handle more of the French than any of
the others, because the people like them
better and will give higher prices for
them than for any other breed. They
have more endurance and are the best
dispositioned horses we have. They
mature sooner and are ready for the
market younger than the other breeds.
The Clydesdales are not so well shaped
nor are their feet so good. We advise
the farmers of the West to breed to the
finest and best-bred Percherons to be
found"
The soove opinions were the express
sions of all the other dealers inter
viewed, with one or two exceptions.
The object of all farmers who breed
horses for use or for market, is to OBJ
tain animals that Will mature the earli-
est and bring the most money. In or
der to accomplish this purpose with the
greatest degree of certainty the use of
the finest and best-bred Percheron
stations is recommended and advised
by nearly all the dealers. The finest
specimens are recorded with their ped
igrees in full in the Percheron stud
book of France.