The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1912-11-16
A General-Purpose Horse

y
been raising draft horses and
useing them largely for general
farm work. The breeding of
heavy draft stations has been
stimulated by the active demand
and high prices paid for this class
of horses on the markets; and
no class of horses is more profit
able for the farmer to raise for
market than heavy drafters, but
there is reasonable room for
doubt about their being best for
general use on the farm.
1t is an undisputed fact that
these heavy drafters are slow
gated, that travelling over the
soft plowed fields worries them
and that they can't stand the
heat as well as that class of
horses that carry less weight.
A breeder of registered draft
horses once showed me a mare
that weighed a ton, writes E. P.
Snyder in Inter- Ocean. Running
in the same field with her was a
standard bred mare that weighed
300 pounds. During t h e
spring blowing one of his work
teams gave out and he put these
two mares in for a couple of
weeks, working them together
and on an evener. He said that
he was surprised to find that the
standard bred mare stood the
work much the better. The
700 pounds of extra flesh carried
by the draft mare seemed a bur-
den for her to move over the soft
ground and when the sun was
shining hot she would heat up
and pant and frequent stops had
to be made to let her cool off and
avoid danger from over-heating.
For moving heavy loads on
hard ground at a slow gait every
body admits the superiority of
the draft horse; but all farm
work is not of this kind and for
the general use the 1.300-pound
horse has many advantages.
The momentum given the plow
and all other tillage implements.
the binder, mower, loader, self
delivery rake. etc. by a fast
walk lightens the draft. saves
time and in every way is more
agreeable and satisfactory than
the slow plodding gait of the
heavy drafter. These heavy
drafters should never be moved
faster than a walk. Any speed
ier gait worries them, is not in
their line and they cannot stand
it. 1t often happens that the
farmer wants his team to go
trot" as the Dutchman expresses
it.
On account of the machinery
and implements with which the
farmers are now obliged to equip
their farms they have to keep
more horses than formerly. For
the extra heavy work three
1,200 to 1,400 pound horses will
do more work and do it easier
than a pair Of drafters that
weigh a ton each. II the farmer
can't afford an automobile, these
general purpose horses usually
make pleasant drivers and will
take produce TO market or will
draw the family carriage at a
good gait without worry to them
selves and to the satisfaction oil
their owners.
Heavy mules from big draft
mares are great sellers. but every
man who has used mules and
knows them greatly prefer those
bred from medium-weight. stand
ard-bred mares. am told that
they have the snap and ginger
whatever that may be- that goes
towards making them speedy |
pleasant workers, while big ones
are slow, lifeless and disagree
able always. Any team, wheth-
er horses or mules, needs some
thing besides avoirdupois to make
them good, effective and proper
workers and for the average
farmer the lively, active, medium
weight horse is more satifactory
and profitable than the slow,
heavy drafter.