Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-07-19
VALUE OF TIL MORGAN CROSS.
A vtoNnERElu REVOLUTION HAS OCCUR
PED IN THE HORSE WORLD.
JOSEPH BATTELLn
~


A wonderful revolution mas occurIeu
in the horse world-.such change as no
man ten years ago could have predicted
Then the whole country was running
wild after standard trotter. To breed
trotters was the greatest ambition OF
nearly all who were interested in the
light harness horse. 1t went so far that
farmers who had a would-be dam lighter
than the draft size could easily be induc-
cd 70 breed to the descendants of trotting-
bred stations, regardless OF their indl-
vidual merit. When told that this stall
lion had the blood of George Wilkes,
Harold, Alexanders Abdallah, or some
other of the many progenitors of trottlng
stock. it was enough to overcome all
hesitation and objection and cause the
farmer or small business man to look
forward to the coming foal as future
record breaker. Colts were kept entire
which were better specimens OF the
dromedary than of the equine type for
the very satisfactory reason, to the de-
luded breeder, that he could trace "a
blood line 10 Maud ;. or some other
noted turf phenomenon.
With no attention paid to the individ-
ual quality of sire and dam, such indis-
criminate breeding was sure to glut the
market with a class of horses only lit Tor
hackabouts. | know of breeders today
who have been breeding for the last six
or eight years and have not produced a
single animal which could be placed
upon the present market with the eXpec-
tation of reaching the one-hundred dol
lar mark Based upon the present de-
mand of style, step and symmetry, with
fair size, such stock finds no sale. 1t Is
pleasing to realize that such wild craze
as then existed has met its merted fate,
and to realize that the ideal horse from
now on must be possessed of certain
high characteristic, regardless of eX-
IRENE speec, Is another pleasing thing.
The trotting race-horse is here to stay.
He is an American product and the best
sporting realization of horse evolution.
But he can only exist as sporting
horse. He will be bred as sporting
horse the same as the running race-horse
and owned only by tie sporting world.
This from now on is the field in which
the American trotter will find his great
est value. In fact there will be but lit
tie value in him in any other field. Per-
haps it is enough. am "a lover of a
trotting-horse race. do not go there
to see how the competitors look; | am
most interested in how they go. His
color size, style, symmetry and dispo-
sitiou all are as nothing to the one great
question of get there 1t is simply a
horse race, nothing else. Beauty and
elegance of poise or carriage are not in
consideration.
But when we 90 from there to the
boulevard or park our picture of the
horse we most enjoy to look upon OF
drive is of very different order. Now
we are eXacting IN our demands fol
beauty of form, style, temper, and spirit
Now, whether in repose or action, the
tvpe must be in lines of symmetry
Splendid pose and elegance in action are
requisites we now call for and must have
We are now pleasure riding and pleasure
driving and only moderate degree Of
speed is really desirable. Three minutes
and even fonr minutes speed capacity
now easily satisfies us, if with it we car
associate fair size, style, symmetrical
proportions, intelligence, spirit, docility
power and soundness. Whoever car
place such horse upon the market vii
find competitive buyers at prices up ii
the hundreds. This type of horse, witt
evidence of muscular power in his well
knit, symmetrical make up, captures
every true lover of the horse kind
Breeders now clearly realize this and arr
making selections in their mating sir
and dam which in time will yield gooC
results.
The American roadster and gentle
mans driver is in process of evolution
and as product of an united effort b,
intelligent lovers of the horse the worll
is yet to behold its highest type. Th
great obstacle to the accomplishment o
this is that in the stock they are starting
With LneIe Is 50 uluCn COdIstueSS w u
eliminated. 1t will take years to brini
this about, and then only with stead
persistence and great care.
A shorter and much better metho
would be to cross upon this more or les
coarse stock that sire which is mos
abundantly supplied by nature and in
hertance with the qualities desired
Symmetry is the most important quality
or one to which the greatest attention
must be given. 1t is the great wan
today in our present horse. Whicheye
sire will furnish this one quality is tn
sire which should be used as a cross t
begin with.
Now what family of horses has reall
been prominently stronger than a
Others in the possession of this one re
nuisite of the light-harness horse? Th