The record., 1912-05-30
VOL. XIV. NO. IL.
RY J. NJ BELL. Nirginial

CBy J. NJ. BELL, VirginiaD
The heavy draft has his place. so
does the diminutiye pony, but neither
Of these extremes in horsefiesh fills
the bill for general use on the farm.
One horse on our place. now in his
twenty-third year, was practically
sound after nineteen years of steady
work, work which included hauling
cordwood, lumber and railroad ties
over roads which were never of the
best, and this faithful beast did his
part day after day in all weathers
alongside of mules and other horses,
many of which were heaving and the
majority are now out of commission
from age and other inflrmities.
''Old Major" as he Is known
throughout the countryside. was raised
and for 21 years belonged IN the party
-s.ss raised ail. and was bought by
The writer last spring.
His formeI owner was a countrv
storekeeper, farncr and wood me-
chant, and withai a fox hunter, Ugh
ing close to 200 pounds.
He and his saddle are a load for
any horse in run across country aft
er a pack of Virginia hounds.
During each season and for a dozen
years or more, "Old Major" bore his
master on hunts innumerable with
never q biunder, and from the time he
was two and one-half years old until
h. onId loc cnrinO hn %
general utility animal around the
premises.
It seems like stetching the truth to
recount the 10 years of steady work
Of this remarkable horse; work under
the saddle. In light and heavy harness,
Ter. or lighter horse long ago (fer
there is no more wearing work than
that of the generai-utility horse on
the FARM, weeks plowing followed
by two or three days light harness
work, then a few more days plowing.
next, hauling the wood in a team. to
say nothing of the Sunday trip to
church.
II is not my object to say anything
derogatory regarding the merits of
any type of horse, for. as before stised,
they all have their uses.
However. in passing. 1t is worthy of
note that while the medium-size horse
On the farm can do heavy work in
proportion to his weight, yet the very
heavy horse is utterly useless for any
thing but heavy work, being entirely
put of place when It comes to work In
the saddle or in light harness.
There are many farmers these days
who are working on the intensive sys.
tenn. cultivating small areas of crops
some of these having left the city for
the country.
Their families will want the horses
10 ride or drive occasionally, and un'
less these farms can keep extra horses
teams for work and also the pleasure
horses, let them keep those of medi
I'm size weighing 1000 to 1,100 pounds
When a team Of this size is not busy
1t farm work, they can be put to the
surrey or carriage and make a fair
showing on the road, as pleasure
team.
Beside doing considerable farm
work since I have owned this horse,
have driven him regularly.
The conformation of "Old Major
is most excellent from a standpoint o.
service; his head is well set on his
neck, and his neck is well set In hif
shoulders. which are strong and deepl,
muscled at the same time; his barre
Is fine and round; in other words. ht
Is well ribbed out.
His coupling is good, his hips wids
but not ragged. while his loins ant
thighs are indicative of strength.
His hooks are good and clean o
blemishes, likewise his pasterns; witt
the exception of slight wind puffs, hi
common bones are fat and broad; hi
feet are rather small and too marrow
at the heels, causing him to suffer a
one time from contracted heels, oy
ing partly. no doubt, TO poor and care
less shoeing. This defect has beeI
greatly remedied since have had hin
shod under the direction of a compe
tent veterinary.
One more word about our o.,
friend: His feed, since he was weaned
up to the present time, was corn cl
the ear as grain ration, from II to