Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-04-02
Who Is Going To Breed Them
Marque in The Chicago Horse Review.

"hO dAO ouPPOoCd W NC WCI DOotCu VII ttiC
prevailing conditions in the horse business.
it makes one sad to note that a somewhat
discouraged attitude is often taken. How
ever. II is my sincere opinion that there
never was period when the outlook for
breeders of standard horses was brighter
or more encouraging, notwithstanding the
opinion of other writer's to the contrary.
firmly believe that the lowzwater mark
for colts, FLIES, brood mares and unframed
horses of good breeding was reached in
1914, and that conditions will improve ma
terially this season. and continue to do so
right along thereafter. base this predic-
tion on well-grounded reasoning, which
will attempt to outline.
First of all, the public is not out of con-
ceit with harness racing. On the contrary.
1914 found our sport better patronized
than any of the other popular outdoor
pastimes. This pointed out in a recent
article. So long as horse racing retains its
widespread popularity there will remain
strong demand for racing MATERIAL and
this demand will result in more horses being
bred and greater percentage of them
trained.
Last season wrote an article entitled,
Prepare for Horse Famine" and since
that tim ell am more firmly convinced that |
was correct in my surmises. and that time
will further emphasize the accuracy of my
observations.
The process of elimination has been in
progress since the inception of breeding
operations. but there have been more culls,
and undesirable horses weeded out in the
last five years than in any other like period.
The breed is freer of ohaff. sounder as to
foundation, with better seed to 60 ahead
with than ever before in the history of the
business.
The advent of the automobile eliminated
many mares of ordinary breeding and merit,
and the European war has taken from us
about 100000 light horses, many of which
were trotting or pacing bred, and will take
many more.
VIC may ody tlht VIC cuC otditllk WIFI
clean deck, having rid ourselves of the
undesirable and retained the better class
Of mares and stations. There is scarcely
section of the United States or Canada
in which good stations are not accessible.
For my own enlightenment took tab OF
twenty-five stations whose names appear
in the Breeders Directory of the Review
Racing Guide, and carefully looked up their
breeding. They were stations that was
not familiar with and knew nothing about
aside from their records or registered stand
ard numbers. II was really surprising to
me to learn the high class pediGrecs they
carried, and was struck by the fact that
ten years or so ago such breeding could be
found only on the best farms or in the
great horse centers.
There are hundreds of young horses that
carry the blood of the great sires, Of promi-
nent colt trotters and dams that are pro-
ducers, and bred in the heighth of fashion
Breeders will make no mistake in patron.
izing them, and, as matter of fact, il is
these same young horses from which We
may expect future progenitors of the type oil
Baron Wilkes 2I8, Allerton 2:09 Ia, Moko
Peter the Great 2:07 Id. Axtell 2I2, Ak
worthy 215 l-2. Walnut Hall 2:08 IA
Bingen 2:06 IA, etc. And when those
breeders who are fortunate enough t.
secure sire Of such merit as those named
they will be richly rewarded for many
years of breeding efforts.
The tendency to breed only to the mos
noted sires constitute a handicap. Civ
the young horses chance. and by so do
ing save large stud fees and much othe
contingent expenses.
Supply and demand in the horse bust
ness. as well as in all others, make high o
low prices, and just as certain as you and
are alive, the demand will increase becaus,
the supply at the present time is short
and keeps on shortening.
There is less chance taken nowadays il
breeding than ever before, for the general
average Of horses produced is more uni
formly superior. They are born with more
natural speed. and require less time and
expense to develop them into racing tools
Leaving aside the present great demand
for finished race horses-and prices for thi:
sort were never higher--th European wal
once settled is bound to give our foreign
market an additional impetus. They are
killing horses over there. not breeding them
and the destruction is largely among light
horses. such as are used for cavalry and
artillery purposes. and in peace for every
sort OF use. After peace is declared there
will come period Of readjustment in each
country's affairs In order to replenish
their horse stock and rehablitate breed
ing, they must look to America for stations
and mares. No other country will be in
position to fill the depleted ranks of horses
in practically all Of Europe and, as we well
know, during the past ten years Europe
has learned to recognize the true merit of
the American trotter. More Of the standard
breed will be used to restock and breed
army horses. to say nothing of the racing
side Of the proposition.
The way look at the situation, we should
take an encouraging view of the breeding
angle. for all elements seem to favor us.
II Is not a time to wear long faces, but
rather one for cheerfulness and action
Horace Greeley said. go west young man."
and am going to paraphrase his famous
advice by saying Breed horses, young
man r.
Rockville Bargain Store