The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-08
BREEDING MATCHED HORSES.


There are few men, even among
those actively engaged in the horse
breeding industry, who fully realize
the long and expensive searches that
are made by horse dealers and by the
agents of wealthy men to secure well
matched pairs of horses for carriage
driving 1t is not essential in a great
number OF these cases that the horses
be fast trotters, but it is of the first inn
portance that the pair match well, and
after this that they move with stylish
high stepping and high spirited gait.
Such horses, matched, are worth very
much more than double their price
when sold alone, owing to the difficulty
that is experienced IN attempting to
cater TO this desire on the part of
wealthy people to indulge their fancy
In an attractive pair of carriage horses.
The following of the well recognized
principles of breeding will go far to
ward securing well matched pairs. If
one could use breeding mares, of an
established standard of form and color,
such as has been secured in the breed
ing Of the Hackney Coach, French
Coach and ahe Cleveland Bay, and
could make use also of stations that
had been thus bred, he could count
quite confidently on producing what
was desired But the average breeder
has no such facilities at hand. He
must use such mares as he has, or can
readily obtain, but even under such
circumstances there Is an intelligent
way to proceed.
A weIl-shaped mare may be bred for
two years In succession to sire whose
prepotency has been shown to be so
strong that his offsprings, as a rule,
strongly resemble him in form and
color; or what would be still better,
two mares of as great similarity as
possible may be bred the same year to
such a sire, and the chances will strong
ly favor the securing of well mated
pair. If one is breeding horses as a
part of his farm operations 1t Is not
difficult to secure mares that bear a
close resemblance to each other, while,
if person is limited to the use of only
one mare, he may, as suggested, breed
for two years in succession to the same
sire, or may arrange with q neighbor,
having mare somewhat similar to his
own, to breed both the same season to
such a sire with view to the increased
profit to both If a well matched pair be
thus obtained.
A French Coach, or a Cleveland Bay
sire possessing fine style and spirit, is
preferable, for there is a strength of
breeding in the case Of such sires that
makes the handing down of their own
characteristics to their offspring quite
certain, even when the dams are not
altogether similar to them in form and
color. These two breeds are specially
noted as possessing such form, spirit
and good faction" as to make them
particularly desirable as carriage
horses Good results in breeding for
matched pairs may come when we'll
built trotting bred stations are used,
but the past breeding of such animals
usually makes the chance of uniform
ity Of form and color in the offspring
decidedly remote Attempting to
secure such uniformity can certainly
result in no loss, if the attempt bemade
as suggested, while it may result in a
quick sale and largely increased
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