The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-02-13
SOIL AND HORSE BREEDING.
The Various Effects on Bone and
Blood Exerted by Land

\ writer In the London Live. Stock
Journal makes an interesting study ol
the influence OF soil on horse ;spe. the
conclusions OF which are nCs new. bul
are pat.in a way that should lead pfhc
teal horse breeders to give consiaera
ton to this important factor in then
success or failure. The spondsnl
says that there is no point which is oi
more vital Importance to success in
breeding horses thar that the land on
winch they are reared should be OF
suitable character for the purpose
This, in fact, constitutes The chief fun
damental requirement IN horse breed
ing, as all experienced breeders will
agree. The nature OF the soil plays
a great part in molding the type OF
horses, their size. the deVelCpIL ent OF
their bone, and their general conforma,
ton are all very largely Influenced by
this factor, And not only does il have
bearing on their outward type. but
their whole inward qualty---their con
stitution, the quality or texture OF the
bone, the toughness or otherwise OF
their sinews, ete.-are also affected by
it to a material extent
The requirements Of horses as re
CARDS the nature OF the soil vary ac,
cording to their breed. A soil which
is suitable for one class OF horse may
be quite unsuitable for another. When
the conditions OF soil are not congen
ial to its particular nature, breed can
not flourish. and sooner or later loses
its type or actually degenerates. Fol
this reason horse breeds do not bean
being Unfortunately tralsplanted
from one kind of soil to another. Yet
the mistake is commonly made OF at
tempting to breed a particular class
of horses on land totally unsuited to
its character
For instance. heavy and massive
Shire horses can be raised only GU rich
and fertile land OF heavy character
as very abundant. Such horses can,
not be bred on lightish soils, because
the grazing on these lacks the ele
ments which are necessary for the pro
duction of this type. Transplanted on
TO light land, Shire stock quickly de
teriorate in size and weight and the
true type, with its massive proportions
and powerful build, is gradually lost
cart horses bred on this kind of soil
are always on the small side and OF
a lightish stamp. Their weight and
size, in fact, bear direct and close
relationship to the richness and fer.
tility of the soil. The richer the latter
is, the more does II promote the deyel
opment o. these characteristics The
heaviest and biggest Shire draft
horses are bred in the low-lyine
marshy and rich lands of the Fen coun
try in Iincolnshit and Cambridge
shire. which Kind of soil favors the
production Of extreme weight and d
huge framework to greater extent
than any other kind.
In the case OF the light breeds oil
horses also, richness of soil tends to
ward massiveness Of shape, just as II
does in he case Of cart horses. But
the requirements of this class o
horse as regards suitability of sol
are, of course. of different nature
rhe biggest and most powerful light
horses can be bred on soil which would
not be suitable or good enough in point
of richness for producing really
weighty and hrst;rate Shire horse
stock. Moreover the marshy low.ly
ing, rich pasture grounds, such as
are found in the Fen districts and else
where, which are SO admirably adapt
ed for raising heavy draft horses OF
the weightiest stamp, are by no means
the most suitable for the production
Of good horses of the light class, while
some light breeds cannot be bred sue
Gessfully on them at all
For instance. they are unsuitable
for raising thoronghbreds, or stout
and fought hunters or polo ponies
Light horses bred on this class 81
soil, it is true, develop much weight
and grow to big size as a rule; btlt
they are more or less coarse IN type
and lack the quality and refinement
which one looks for In wellbred AMI
mails, while invariably they are NOR,
or less soft in constitution. Further
more, the quality Of their bone ant
sinews is OF an inferior character
these structures being deficient II
toughnes9 and this last applies ais,
to their feet, which generally incln,
to be of tiatter shape and NOR,
preadng than che likes to see IL
lorses ell the |iaht class which arr
worked at fast pace and whose fee
consequently are subjected to a gre
deal OF concussion. Really tough, hard
wearing and stoutly-constitutlune,
light horses. with strong legs. steel,
tendons and good feet, can be bred ON
ly on up-lying pasture lands,
In not other direction does the ma
ture of the soil exert greater de
gree in Influence on the horse bred OF
it than Il does in regard to the size
and quality of the bone. and also tins
quality OF the structure intimately con