The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-21
A Good Carriage Horse.

There is not a week passes that | am
not asked by farmers If it will pay to
breed horses. The questions indicate
that the interest in horse flesh is not
lost, and that it is only necessary to
show the farmers that there is a profit,
and a big one, in breeding some kinds
of horses, 10 have them go back to this
most pleasant side of stock breeding.
There is one very disquieting side to
the resumption of breeding horses on
the part OF farmers, and that is that for
the last five years farmers have been
selling their best animals, as they were
the only nes that brought any kind of
prices. The natural consequences have
followed, and to-day many a farmer has
the worst lot of scrub stock in the way of
horse flesh that could fall to the lot Of
any country. l do not mean to say
that there are not good horses to be
found on the farms, but l do intend to
say that the breeders, as a rule, are but
poorly equipped with mares to begin TO
raise fine stock. The demand for good
animals for the last few years has heen
SO great that the farmers have been
foolish to sell their best brood mares
and supply their farms with the big
western chunks that are in no way fit
ted to serve as brood mares for the best
grades of the carriage horse. l say
carriage horses advisedly, as to-day the
horse fitted for wearing "heavy leath-
err" is the one that is fetching top
prices under the hammer, and will con-
tinue to do 80 for years after the pres
ent generation is dead and buried. The
demand for a horse of fine conforma-
ton, great beauty, high action and per-
feet manners, with a fair amount of
speed, is the $1,000 horse, and will
continue to be eagerly sought for in
any community as long as he is bred
there.
One of the largest dealers in horses
in the city of New York said to me a
few days ago, 81 am not able to fill the
orders that l have for carriage horses
and if l knew where / could find them
the price would not stop me. The peo-
pie have been educated to the appear
ance of a good horse by the numerous
horse shows that are now held in most
of the big cities, and are not to be sat-
isfed with any horse that has not the
proper size for the carriage. 1t used
to be the custom Of most of the dealers
to get a large horse for carriage work,
and if the two horses were mated in
color, size, 'and had a fair amount Of
speed, the purchaser was satisfied. All
this is now changed, and unless you can
find what the buyer is after, you cannot
make q SALE"
Good mares can be used for the farm
work just as we'll as geldings, and those
who have made a practice of using
mares would not have geldings, as they
claim that the mares are not only Of
higher intelligence, but can stand more
work. The mares to be selected should
be at least 1873, and 16 hands would be
all the better. A good little horse
brings a good price, but a good big
horse always commands a higher one,
The size of the dam is pretty certain to
be perpetuated in the colt. The head
and neck is another important feature
and if you can get a cross of warm
blood on the dams side it will be sure
to put a fine head and neck on the
colt. See that there is plenty of intel
ligence in the head of any mare you
buy, for anyone by careful attention
can breed horses that will in a short
time give you a great reputation for
having animals with ''sense." You
| will say that this is a little thing, but ii
is the little thing in the long run that
makes the money.
See that the good neck runs back
into shoulders that 60 way into the
back, for that not only means beauty
but that most important point, action
Have the back fairly straight, with the
ribs we'll sprung and the coupling thai
would hold a house. The dock mus
be as level as it is possible to get it, fol-
that is another feature that almost al
ways goes to the colt. Plenty of room
through the heart gives wind, and
good stomach shows that the food viii
be digested. Above all things have tn,
mares on the best of feet and legs, TO,
the old saying, 4" no foot, no horse" il
about as true as anything in this world
The feet must not be too fiat and tn
heels with no tendency to contract.
l can hear some say that l have mad
out a perfect horse and that such ar
not to be found. 1 grant that it is no
an easy task, but then nothing that |
worth having in this world is easy t
get. II you can only get one mare tina
is perfectly sound and comes prett
near the above description, then onl
breed that one. Never breed a mar
just because you happen to have hel
Only the best of everything pays i
these days of sharp competition Ne,
! England Homestead.