The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-01-01
An Innovation In Breeding.

Breeding range mares is rapidly pass-
ing through it's experimental stages in
the Black Hills. The class Of men who
at first engaged in this industry, was
largely eastern breeders, who, through
~frugality and strict attention to bus,-
ness, had succeeded In doing a little
more than making a living and enticed
here by the magnificent opportunities
presented to all descriptions vi live
stock breeders, and particularly to
horsemen, had engaged in raising horses,
some quite extensively, while others were
less venturesome. Another class that
entered the ranks OF breeders, was the
miner, who, had in early days become
comparatively rich, and with good judy
ment, decided to put his money into d
legitimate enterprise. But no matter
from whence he came or what his pre-
vious occupation may have been, the
live stock industry and its profits IN the
BlackHllls, seemed to haye presented
the most tlat-ering outlook OF all enter
prlses, SOFAS a consequence the easterner
went into horse breeding after the fash
ion -practiced by his forefathers, namely
stabllng and feeding their stations the
year round and the inexperienced miner
followed the example.
Time has wrought a mighty change in
respect to this sentiment. Today the
most progressive breeders in the coun-
try, such as the Gammons, Abe Jones,
Charles Hamm, Charles II. HaAby and
many Others, clam that from an econo-
mic standpoint the custom OF breeding
in corrals is to be disparagcd. They
claim that the expense attending this
mode is out OF proportion to the profits;
that in breeding wild mares in a corral
the drain on a horses vitality is simply
enormous, besides, this method Is never
productive OF 81 large colt crop. Alto
-ggether, they hold, that tAe-laMaal o. a-
ture, seem, in horse breeding, as i'll every
thing else, to be more conducive OF good
results, hence they select a limited NUM-
Der OF ulares, say thirty, suitable to q
certain stallion, to which they turn the
horse in May, herding each bunch closely
for a couple OF weeks until the stallion
and mares get accustomed to each other
and the range. After that they are no
trouble. The hold which this plan has
taken on several OF our most reputable
breeders can be appreciated, when it is
stated, that they even turn out valuable
full blooded stations in this way and
profess entire satisfaction with the re-
suits. 1t Is argued against this theory
that eastern raised stations soon run
down and thus unfit themselves for SER
vice, when turned loose. This may be
so in a few isolated cases where the in
dividuals are Of a nervou disposition,
but where judgment has been exercised,
it is beyond a peradyenture that the ex-
pertinent will ultimately prove advan-
t%egeous.
This method is in It's infancy in the
Black Hills, but Judging from the enthu-
slasm OF it's advocates it is bound to
reyolutionize the horse breeding problem
here. 1t has proved a success elsewhere
and why not in u horse paradise?
Once get the stallion and his harem To-
Gated and the only apparent objection
to the plan is, that in this way, a stall
lion can only serve about half the num-
Der OF mares that he could if kept up
and grained. But then he will get with
IN twenty per cent OF as many colts, be-
sides the method does away with the
expense OF keep, care, help, ETC., which
are not uncomfortable items in the
breeders expense account. 1t also OBJ
viates the necessity Of running mares
around, which not infrequently results in
the loss OF sucking colts and otherwise
acts to the detrlment Of the dams and
their offspring.
Now that we have reached the point
where we can use our own Black Hills
range raised stations, both grades and
full bloods, it would not be surprising
to see the innovation become very gen
eral in the next few years and although
the idea will be objected to by o~ur,eastern
friends, as injurious, it must be respect
edras the result OF experienced and intel,
ligent breeders in the west.