Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-04
Gossip nom the Stables

The horse most in demand at the pres
ent day must represent a combination of
these five desirable qualities or points, viz !:
color. disposition, size, speed and style.
These qualities have different powers SO to
speak, and would be arranged in different
order according to the estimation which
horsemen put upon one or the other quail
ity. Some would place speed first, some
general style, who did not carefor speed .
and all would place color first. equally
with disposition, fora good disposition is a
prime quality in a horse. \ horse having
vicious, treacherous disposition is one
nobody wants. As TO color, white or
gray are not liked, although an iron gray is
not so Objectionable, and some horse
men have an idea that this color
is always found in a horse of tough, hardy.
enduring constitution. Black and dark
bay are the most desirable colors. The best
sized horse for general driving or road
purposes is one having weight of $50 to
1000 pounds. Some lighter horses than
these, even as low as 900 pounds. are
wonderfully smart of their size, but a
larger horse than 1000 pounds is generally
not good road horse-they are good bust
ness or work horses, but not drivers. A
horse TO sell well must be .'styie all over
As the boys say. symmetrical, up-headed,
fine limbed. good name and tail, with a
clean not large head, graceful carriage of
the neck, and super fine, spirited action.
all over. As to speed: Well. there is no
limit. But it may be said in general terms
that a horse must be able to trot easy in
three minutes; and then lower than that
well. the lower the better, and the faster
he can go the more he is worth.
The value of good sire is well shown
by the fact that when little weanling
colt was turned loose on Mystic Park, at
the fall races of the New England Trot-
ting Horse Breeders Association last fall,
he was sold for $500, because he was by
the great Nelson 2.2l II. 1t is blood and
pedigree and record that makes the long
price.
There is not found among all the GER
eals grown, so good a provender for the
travelling, road or work horse as good
plump oats. They can hardly be fed in
sufficiently large quantities to injure,
while for the growing colt no food is so
good.
Mr.. W. ID. Haley of South Gardiner is
the owner of two finely bred colts. One is
by Dictator Chief, (3s3I, dam by Gid
con, 40. This colt stands II hands,
weighs 6l5 lbs. and the colt that beats him
in any particular has got to be Il very
choice one. The other is a filly by Mel
son (2.2l Id dam Gray Nose, 2,3l IL
BY Fearnaught, (2.23 Ia second dam
Lady Balch, the dam of Judith. also the
dam of Young Rolfe (22l Id This colt
is bat three months old, but she is a
beauty aud shows her breeding in every
feature and movement.
The horse Dart. one of the fastest
horses in private hands in New York city
is II Maine bred horse: his sire Dr.
Franklin esd. dam. unknown. lie Is
now owned by Mr.. b. Smith, and Thonp-
son in his second volume of ''Noied Maine
Horses. says he ''has "a much speed AS
any horse living" This horse was for
merly known as Slocunl, and WAS foaled
in Fartield-the native town of so many
famous horse~.
Another horse has won ii place i'll the
Maine 80 list for 1887. This is the
horse now called Eastern Boy. formerly
known "a MillinOkett. Eastern Boy is by
Gen. Knox. dam by Beale horse, by Fly
ing Eaton. The time. 2.29 -, was made
at Stanstead Plain. i. O.. but the facts of
his breading have Just been published in
Thompson's Monthly for January. in a
letter from Gen. ". >. 'Tilton.