Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-05-19

JUDGMENT AND FOR SOME WELL DE-
FINED PURPOSE.
Good horses of all classes are scarce,
and it is quite probable that many farm
ers will anticipate continued demand
and raise a few colts for future sale. A
few remarks upon this subject may be
in order. First, let me say, unless you
have a good mare, do not try to raise a
colt. The horse market is undergoing
great changes From now on horses
will be classified according TO their
adaptability TO certain uses. Horses
that belong to any class and are good in
that class will sell well, but the horse
that is neither saddler nor driver, a
Speeder nor a coacher, must be first
class draughter in order to sell for enough
To pay for his raising. Colts bred hap
hazard, colts bred by accident, or colts
bred for cheapnesS, will nine times out
of ten fail to find a market. Let horse
buyer drop OFF at any country town to-
day and announce that he is buying
horses, and he will be beset by Il score OF
men who have or know of horses for sale
But when he asks, Are they draught
| horses? Are they coach horses? Are
they Saddlers9 or are they fancy drivers!
| the answer is: ''Well, no, not exactly,
but they are good work horses. This
reply does not suit the buyer, and unless
Won can show him some horses that
come strictly within the class that he Is
buying, he will return to his train and
depart for some other point where they
raise the class of horses that he is hand
ling.
| Very few of our common farmers have
paid any attention to this matter. with
most of them a mare is a mare, and
/ horse is a horse, and no more. Find me
farmer who has bred for any of the
above mentioned classes for dozen
wears, and who has kept upon his farm
! few good mares of certain class, and
who has bred them to supply a certain
kind of market demand, and will show
Won a man who has made some money
out of horses. But you cannot raise
good horses for any class out OF scrub
mares and scrub sires. There may be
exceptions, but they will be very rare.
If YOU ask me what | think are the
two most important features OF demand
in the horse market to-day, | think can
safely answer, substance and style.
Even the heavy draught horse of the
future must be we'll proportioned, sym
metrical and stylish. The horse that
sells to-day must have something besides
size. He must be handsome and well
formed, and he must show evidences OF
having been bred for some purpose,
otherwise he will fall below the $50 class.
On some of our markets the "all round
farm horse is mo horse at all. Now
YOU are up to this proposition: FROM
now on YOU must raise horses that VIII
sell, and in order To sell they must be-
long TO a certain kind or class. Such
being the case, what kind will You ralSe'
Well, now, why not also consider this
as a matter of more or less permanence,
and plan TO keep on raising the class
that YOU like to handle and to when
YOUR farm is best. adapted? After that,
study the breeding, make up and claSsiii-
cation of your brood mares. If they are
draughters, you will probably do we'll 10
select the best draught sireS in the coun-
try. and set out to raise draught horses
ONLY. But remember there is something
more than size even in draught horses.
II is nearly as important that the draught
horse have action and style, as that he
have size. If you have brood mare
noted for extreme speed, then select the
best trotting sire in your vicinity, ana
be sure that his makeup and his pedigree
complement that of your mare. III you
have a liking for what may be termed
..heayv drivers" and your mares are
large and well formed, then look up
GOOD coach horse. But don't take the
owners word for it. Don't be carried
away by his statements. Look at the
horse, and unless he has good action ana
is handsome and stylish, let him alone.
One of the uglieSt horses in New-l orS
state to-day took first premium less thah
three wears ago at a prominent morse
show, and for the simple reason that the
owner of that horse was in position 10
demand it.
Now we come to a much neglected but
very profitable class, the fancy driver
know not how it is in other states, OUT
here i'm Michigan 4 man can drive an
day long and hardly find pair OF wei
matched fancy drivers. Farmers don
raise them. They don't seem to know
| how. They seem To be afraid OF lack oi
size. Would | could paint on every
stable door the words, ''Size is not quail
itv'' show me handsome, stylish,
well matched pair of horses, OF gooo
breeding, well cOlored, and well oroken'
and I'll tell you of men who are paying
from 500 to Sl,5O0 pair Tor Such
horses, and not asking them To wel.h
over eleven hundred pounds each. IN
deed, saw pair OF beautiful Days wei
matched. well broken, and well manner
ed. that weighed only l,025 pounds each,
/ sell for 81 800 on an Eastern boulevard
| less than three years ago. Gentiemeh'
If YOU can breed fancy drivers, horses
that combine style and action, you can
hiring the buyers to your door. But un,
less YOU have handsome, well formed
mares, and know how to select sire,
Won had better confine yourself TO some
of the other classes. .-
One more word in regard to the fancy
driver: extreme speed is not requireu'
The driving team above referred 10 were
never required to make mile IN less
than $50; but they were handsome,
snowy span of gentlemen's drivers, such
as we saw years ago, when our horses
traced To a combination of the Morgan
and the thoroughbred. All, that was
the combination that gave us the carriage
horse; the old style buggy team, the
team you liked to own, and the team you
. could always sell.
With few words in regard to another
easily raised and very profitable class OF
horses, will close this letter. Inc
fancy saddler is in greater demand than
ever. He is sure seller. He frequently
makes a good combination horse lie
: needs not be very heavy and can be raiS'
ed regardless of speed. Quality, sym
metry and style, with disposition ina,
: is teachable. and he is all right, PROVIDED
E YOU know how to gait him and can hoio
! him until he is a finished pro1uct
With the saddle horse good waiKins
gait is an absolute essential; then come
form. style and disposition. oenev'
that any man who makes a study OF TN
2 saddle horse and follows breeding mn
for few years will be well rewarde'
. for his labor.-Richard IL. Wood, IN IT'D
Z une Farmer.
! A farmer who is dependent entireiy o.