Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-03-09

should be long az cotIpsrtd who the
canon The pasternS should Slop, az
an angle OF about forty-nrc de~res
with the ground \ sloring pa>,crn
abSorbS the shocks 81 iravciinS oa
hard roads aud paVcmenis. Vpson.d-
neSses are very likely a. tcvei'l 'n
short pSStcrned horses. ia suovms the
horse should 20 straight. VITA a Ions.
easy stride.
UnsourIncSsCs.
Animals with scriSHs unsouDducsses
should not BE- uSeS Tor br,'ederS Slight
unSo0ndncSscs In mares are not So o9-
jectiouablc As in stations. siuCc The
mare does not influence ucaris So
many colts. UnSoundncsScs arc not
transmitted Go colts. but the weakness
cS that are usually responsible Tor un-
sound conditions are often transmitted.
The principal unsoundueSSeS are ring
bone. sidebone. SPAWN. bog SPAWN,
th0roughpin and curb.
Sidebone is 4 bony formation at the
hoof head toward the heel. Riugbone
may be found I'm the same place, eN-
tending all the way around. or Il may
be higher up on the paStern. IN which
case Il is known as high ringbone
SPAWN is a bony formation On tie in
side OF the hook. Curb Is n boDy ell
largement at the back OF the leg just
below the point OF the hook. IL Is most
usually found on sickle hooks" II
can be readily noticed by looking at
the leg from the side. Bog SPAWN
IS a soft enlargement on the inside OF
the hook. Thoroughpm is smaller
enlargement extending through the
joint. where It can be felt IN the web
Of the hook. Neither bog SPAWN nor
thoroughpin is serious unless very
large
The stallion should possess the same
general characteristics as the mares
lie should show maSculinity I'm a strong
head. nose inclined TO be- Roman rath-
or than dishcd. Il fairly heavy crest
and large chest In selecting a stall
lion 10 breed to 10 not pick out the
cheapeS; enc ia the neighborhoOd.
Five or ten dollars difference In the
service Zee viii mean $50 TO 500 diff
ference on the price OF the colt when
Il Is four years old III there IS not n
good stallion in your immediate neigh
borhood. take your mares ten miles or
more II necessary. but DO not use an
Inferior stallion. often fifteen or TWEEN
~ farmers can 20 IN together and buy
company stallion. DO not buy a
horse that Is "peddled" 10y a smooth
tOngued agent Such a horse is likely
10 be one that could not hc sold in any
other way. and you will generally pay
twice or three times what Il is worth.
The best plan Is 20 organize the com
pany first and then send n competent
man TO some reliable horse establish
mcnt 60 pick on, the stallion.
The Value Of Pure Bred Stallion.
The question OF breed is largely one
Of individual rrefercncc. III the u,ares
OF the neighborhood are nearly all
grades Of some particular breed IL will
pay to get a horse OF that breed. BE
careful 10 the selection OF breed and
then stick To Il. Nothing viii produce
n mongrel lot Of horses more quickly
than changing breeds every few ycars.
Above all. get a pure bred. = grade
may be a good enough individual. but
he VIII no; have the hong line Of i'm
proved ancestry back OF him on both
sides 20 give him the prcpotency that
pure bred has. The grade has mon
grel blood I'm him. and Il Is bound 20
crop out in his colts.
Entirely too much stress Is laid on
the value OF Imported stations. For all
practical purposes home bred animals
are just as good aud can be purchased
for much less money. Size In stall
lion is all important. y horse that
weighs less than a ton In breeding
condition should not bc used. The
mere fact that an animal is bred In a
foreign country cannot add anything
10 his actual value. and the reasons
that such an Importation Is rated high
CT than the domestic product are chief,
~ sentimental II Is time that This
unwarranted discrimination should be
brought 60 an end.
Never patronlze an oyerfat stallion.
Fat is Il convenient means OF cover
Ing defects. but a. is hard on the ami
mails breeding powers. When the
stallion is not in service he should be
given plenty Of exercise. preferably at
some kind IF work that IS not too Sc
we're. He should be In good condition
and good spirits when the breeding
season opens During the breeding
season he should be given regular ex-
ercise ana plenty OF II. His feed
should consist largely Of oats, with 4
little corn. and an occasional mash
with a little oilmeal added. Good.
bright timothy or clover hay in limited
quantities viii make up the roughage
part Of the ration.
The stallion should be well trained
and kept under perfect control. Not
more than two mares should be served
IA