Anntjal Meeting 1081 



heel, scratches, weed, etc. I hold no hrief for any family. I do 

 not care two straws what blood any hoi-se carries in his veins if 

 he " delivers the goods " regularly ; and if he can be found in 

 quantity ; if the markets assimilate him ; and if the public ap- 

 proves him. Any horse is a good horse to breed from, but do 

 not be led into breeding some sorts you never see anywhere but 

 on the promoter's farm. Life is too short to make a market for 

 anybody's prodigies ■ — produce what the people want. 



Breed what you will, but try to have your mares all of a type, 

 size, etc, so that any two make a good pair. Thus you stand a 

 better chance of getting foals which will pair off well, and a good 

 pair always brings more than two equally good odd horses. More- 

 over, if your mares are all of a sort, the one stallion will prdbably 

 " nick " well with all of them, resulting in fairly uniform 

 produce. 



Have your mares foal in the early winter, when you can best 

 spare them for a time, and whereby it will not interfere with 

 your spring, summer and fall work. Thus your foals, well weaned 

 by spring time, go right on to young juicy grass and keep growing 

 while the dams are ready for labor in plenty of time. Foals of 

 that age also have a good growth of tail and mane to protect them 

 from the attacks of insects. While it costs a little extra to thus 

 carry a foal for two or three winter months, it is money well 

 spent. 



Keep them fat and growing, never let them lose the " colt 

 flesh " if you seek early maturity, and " market toppers." The 

 best cross in your colt's makeup is " grain bin." Eeinforce that 

 with liberal infusions of '" plentiful hay," " good grass," 

 " warm stabling," and " common sense," and your colt will have 

 more valuable assets than any special blood lines will give him, so 

 far as practical results go. If you will not feed, do not breed. 

 Feeding is 50 per cent, and more of the success element in any 

 breeding scheme. Moreover, visit the wholesale markets, and 

 learn what "market condition" really is; then keep your stock 

 pretty near that level. No markets will take thin horses, no 

 matter how good, at any decent figure or in any quantity. 



Feeding does not mean ramming the manger full of hay every 

 time you pass a horse. Nearly every farmer does that; many 



