St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-08-13
FARMER PLANTER.
HINTS TO HoRsE-BREEDERs.

FAkMEKAND PLAN lEk.
HINTS TO HoRsE-BREEDERs.
A Few Suggestions that Forty Ysars Of
Observation Have Proved to
bs Valuable.
At the earnest request OF many farm-
ers at this very important season OF
the year. we will endeavor to give your
readers few suggestions that over ~
wears of close observation have firmly
established rs valuable. viz:
First-It requires six years from the
time of breeding until we have the
animal of marketable age generally
sought for.
Second-The best time to 60 into the
business of horse breeding is when
stock is cheap-little or no demand In
the market-when selections OF the de-
sired types and blood can be carefully
made with the adaptation OF both sircs
and dams to be coupled together for
the most Uniform results, with the
view of improving all the good quail
ties of our horses and Graduating
their defects at . reasonable outlay OF
money.
Third.-To maintain any of the spe-
cific types of horses, we must confine
ourselves in the selection of breeding
animals to the desired tyse, let it be
draft, coach, carriage or road horses,
and never try to improve either type
by crossing one type with another, for
the reaso3. by SO doing, we are in
great danger of losing the good quali-
ties of both, and all subsequent breed
ing will be more or less guess-work;
an irreparablc loss that many genera
tions will not eradicate
Fourth.-While we may confine all
our horse-breeding to specific type.
we can not expect to overcome the inn
perfections of many Of the individuals
of the type without very careful selec-
tions of the brood mares and stations
that should be mated together for the
improvement Of that type. and herein
lies the great secret of the improve
mcnt of all the types Of our best
horses
Thousands upon thousands OF farm
ers in the last decade have had some
experience in eross-breeding, or rather
s.haphazard" breeding, from which the
country became flooded with great
mass of horseHesh that they them
| selves did not want and there proved
| to be no sale f,r at living prices,
/ which should be lesson for us in ali
L g. 1,r~
The rapidly increasing demand fol
good, sound horses of any of the we'll
defined types should induce every own
er of good brood mares to make spe.
cial effort to meet them with the bes
stallious to be found.
The service fees should be minol
consideration when the proper stall
lion is found that shows decided Inn
provement in the offspring with gen
orally uniform results.
4 1t is not only the size, style and nc
ton of the stallion that should gail
him patronage, but his ancestral in
hcritance, his ability to impress upon
his offspring the meritorious qualitie
OF the family, with untfo1nity tina
will guarantee to theOwncrs OF broos
mares (that are nearly the counterpart
of the stallion, rs nearly all mares ant
stalliohs generally are) such results q
will insure an active demand for tn,
produce. Almost all mares and stal
lions have some weak or dcfectiv
parts or parts of their organization
and here is where the greatest consid
Grafton and good Judgment should b
exercised In the selection of the stal
lion for every individual mare. q
the weakest part of the hOrs'
is the estimate OF his ability
Just the same MS the weak
est link In the chain Is the estimated
tensil strength of the chain. What
ever weakness or defect in the mare (,
be bred is known to her ownr land b.
, should know, the corresponding par
must be particularly strong in tn
stallion she is to be bred to. While tn
similarly strong parts Of each will b
greatly increased, the weaknesses AM
defects arc greatly multiplied. What
ever is lacking in the mare should b
made up in the stallion, and vice versa
We will have defective ones enongl
with very careful selections. and wha
must we expect when we pay little o
no regard to them? We can not affor
: to spend our time. trouble and expens
: of raising horse to marketable ag
that is not eagerly looked for by tn
. buyers
We too often take general an
casual glance ut the confirmation @
the stallion and utterly FAM to Civ
him a critical examination in detail
: His body may not be too long or to
short, but he may be lacking in girt
at either heart or flank. The ribs ma
be well sprung. and too often hat an
too much space between them lie ma
be of good carriage ut one end an
poor ut the other. He may have
fairly good car, but coarse Roma
nose; but q straight face line and wild
: between the eyes with . clean bon
+ head is very rarely associated with
e clumsy ear and y thick heavy necl
u The shoulders and quarters should
E we'll clothed with muscles, givfn
width and depth at both ends Of u
& body.
e The most careful examination On
u comparative consideration should
Es bestowed ON the feet and legs Of u
: animal-the neutrality-suspicious.
J, locomotion-as his whole life Of M
y fulness consists in his moving N
J. working power ard not in his hesh
Ie food, like that Of cattle, sheep n
le hoga4 No matter how large or sma
il the horse, how his finely-groomed co
,e exhibits its varied hues in the %
ID light, how much style or spirit he {
,e hibits. without good feet and le
ID properly hung to his body he 10 CO
l. paratively . worthless animal TO VIII
IL he otherwise would be.
Ill II the brood mare has curby legs
II stallion should have broad, Gle