1054 New York State Breeders' Association 



a fair average of the whole state. Aud the result of that ex- 

 amination is a very surprising one. I do not believe there is 

 one stallion out of ten in the State of New York that is entitled 

 to reproduce himself. There are a considerable nimiber of 

 these animals standing at as low a service fee as $3, and they 

 are the ones, more than the bettor ones, that seem to be per- 

 petuating themselves. There is not one stallion in ten, in the 

 counties where we have examined these records, that is either a 

 thoroughbred, a standard bred or a pure bred, of any breed. The 

 great majority of them are grades, and a large number of them 

 not even that — they are the offspring of grade sires. Perhaps 

 that has something to do with the condition of the horse-breeding 

 industry in the State of New York. Perhaps we have not been 

 breeding the right type of horse. Perhaps we have not been 

 breeding a good enough horse, not only for the market but for 

 our own use. And I think if we are to stimulate tlie horse- 

 breeding industry of the state we will have to get down to the 

 foundation of it, and to start right and to have a better insight 

 into the type of horse that we ought to breed, and the market 

 demands. That involves a discussion of the question of the 

 elimination of those mongrel and grade stallions that are imworthy 

 individuals, from our breeding operations. I doubt very much 

 whether the state should undertake to say that a stallion that is 

 now used for public service can no longer be used, but I do 

 believe that it would impose no hardship upon anyone 

 to say that, from a certain time in the future, no animal of that 

 type that was unfit to perpetuate itself should be registered for 

 public service. That would apply to the generation of horses 

 yet unborn, and would produce a gradual elimination of those 

 that are now tending to retard our breeding operations. It might 

 be wise to go still further than that; but I siiggest that as a 

 general proposition which would do no wrong to any man, nor 

 interfere with what he may deem his vested right in any animal 

 that exists to-day. And so with the passage of the present gen- 

 eration of these wortliless stallions that are doing much harm to 

 our horse-breeding industry, there would come upon the scene a 

 new type of sire that would be a credit to our breeding operations 

 and would encourage us to breed the type of horse that may be 



