Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-08-28
NOTES.
JOSEPH BATTELL,
Middlebury, vt.
From the Horse Review.I

From the HORSE Review
A writer recently discussing trottlng-
horse breeding remarked: "The age of
breeding by guess is past Had he
said the age of breeding by guess should
be past he would have more nearly rep
resented the fact. Even then. however,
the statement would only have been re-
latively true. Taking his language in
the sense in which it was meant, there is
still great deal of guesswork in breed
ing trotting horses. How many owners
are there still who according to the
theorem once, if mistake not, laid by
the same writer as law of breeding,
simply endeavOr to "breed a good horse
to a good mare" and do not always sue
coed even in that attempt? How many
of them are there that fail to take into
consideration size, style, gait, disposition,
family traits, and, in fact, everything
that goes to make up the horse: How
many of them are there that know moth
ing of these qualities and, as shown by
their methods, care as little as they
know? They have mare and
some horse is standing at a low figure
in the neighborhood and they breed to
him because he is cheap and convenient
They spend no thought on the various
questions that should control the mating
of sire and dam. They think little of
blood lines, of speed lines, of the success
or non-success that has attended similar
mating or other like questions that agi-
tate the minds OF other breeders. They
simply breed by guess.
The following will Illustrate the fact
as well as anything that good horses are
that there is big money in raising horses,
both saddle and harness, for fancy trade.
a man never knows the value of a good
horse and how difficult it is to replace
him until he loses him and starts out to
get another, Get an order for first
class horse, absolutely sound, kind and
free from vices, of good style and re-
quired to come up to certain points in
gaits, if a saddler, or in speed if trot-
ter or PAGER, and then start out in your
neighborhood or county and see how
difficult it will be to fill the bill. Says
the Breeder and EIorseman:
"a well known business man of Nash
vile was advised by his physician to
take an hours recreation every day on
horseback, and few days ago he started
i a..
lates his experience: Il soon found a
horse that suited my fancy and on in
quiring the price the owner said $3.50
cash was the least he could afford to
take for him. said to the man. 'Why,
great scott, do you know can buy a
house and lot with that much money!
Perhaps you can he replied. but it is
a horse you want and not house and
lot. then said to him that had been
led to believe that horses were dirt
cheap. TO this he replied, some horses
are cheap, but they are of kind that
you would not accept as gift. | con-
cluded to look further. Down at a
Broad street livery stable | found a
good-looking, good-gaited gelding that
l thought would answer my purpose.
The owner said the horse had splint
and two or three wind -pufls, but other
wise was all right. He asked 5000 for
him. told him | would see him again
and continued my search for cheaper
horse. In a day or two | found one,
said to be the equal of any saddle animal
in the State, but the owner could not be
induced to take a cent less than $50
for him. have now spent two weeks
trying to buy good horse at Il low price
and am no nearer Il trade now than the
day | started ont. But | have learned
one thing: All the cheap horses about
Nashville are of a sort that are not
worth feeding. In my rounds | learned
that real good driving horse could not
be bought for less than 5000, while a
tirst-class animal is held for $500 to 800.
Only western ponies and scrub farm
horses are selling from $50 to $50
wake up, Jacob, day is breakingw
CT said nalkiffTu |