Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-06
Horse Breeding In Texas.

It seems only yesterday to stockmer
of Texas when raising horses was con.
sidered rotoriously Improbable. Tbe
cowman expected to make money out oi
his cattle. and regarded raising horses
as simply a necessary adjunct to his
business Cow ponies he needed. and
it was cheaper for him to raise them
where needed, than to send off aud buy.
The idea OF raising horses except for
home use on ranch was not enter
tanned. for a stock of horses could be
bought for song-seliing often from
80 to So per head with colts thrown in.
They were not worth much care. The
gentle bunch" alone received occa-
siopal attention.
Horses wtre not always salable. but
cattle were: as a result horses were
raised for use, and not for sale. Think
OF selling 600 head of horses for $4,000.
RanchmeD, in talking about their stocks,
wouid say: The horses will come out
all right. there is always grass for them "
II asked why they did not breed better
horses, the response would be: There
amt any money in it. These horses
are good enough to run cattle with, and
that is all the use we have for them. !"
The legitimate result followed this con-
dition of things. Ranches and cattle
increased, and horses did not. Ranch
men did not miss the water until the
well run almost dry. The above repre-
sents about the way things stood then.
Almost at once. cattlemen all over Texas
discovered that COW ponies were scarce,
and hard to find. Unheard Of prices
were asked and paid for the stock need
ed. Supply was not eanal to the de-
mand. Prices went higher and higher.
Even mares became valuable. As soon
as they had tangible worth, enter
prising dealers began 10 ship them
North and East.
1t was a surprise to fine that they,
the pot-bellied. inbred prairie mares
and survivsl-of-the-f -fttest pony stall
lions. found ready sale. Street car
companies tried them and bought more.
Liverymen found them Just what they
wanted-cheap and serviceable animals.
Farmers bought the largest of the
mares as mule producers, and now rails
ing horses in Texas is profitable. Stock
men are importing well-bred stations
for their own use. Companies are being
formed for breeding fine horses for draft
and road purposes. COW ponies now
command from $50 to $50 PEI mead.
Herds are in demand at from $40 to $40
per head, instead Of from 50 TO S6.
These are not the prices breeders will
get for their horses in short time.
A nfteen-hand, fve-year-old, sound,
broke gelding, is worth Sl00. and that
is the minimum price the horse-rsiser
will get for him inside of three years.
Because he can be raised for $40 is no
reason that he will not sell for 500. In
the State of New York. the cost OF
raising tlve-year-old ho-se IL S7O0. 1t
will cost to ship Texas five-yesr-old to
New York sl5. Then why should not
the TeIas-raised gelding bring 500?
A sound horse is the exception IN that
country; 80 much of spavins, ring
bones. and sore tendons prevail, caused
by hard driving on psvei and macsdam-
lied roads, as to really make those all
ments almost, II not quite, hereditary.
A horse that is sound there to-day, may
on the morrow throw a SPAWN, which
ruins him. Our prajrie-rsised horses
inherit none of these ten0oneies. but,
on the contrary, their bones and ten
dons are strong, healthy and perfect.
Then why should not sound, well
broke, fifteen hands, tive-yesr-old geld
ing, TeIss-raised, be worth Sl00'