26 THIRTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



year. The farmer can easily plan so that the coming 1 of the 

 colt will not interfere with the farm operation to any great ex- 

 tent; and with the present prices for horses of the right kind 

 there is no branch of farming which will pay better. And 

 right here lies the secret of success or failure. The farmers, 

 yes, and horse breeders of Vermont, have lost hundreds of 

 thousands of dollars trying to get trotters and while experi- 

 ence has shown that our climate is not adapted to the devel- 

 opement of extreme speed, the majority of farmers are keep- 

 ing right at it, the usual result being a useless plug. 



Now I believe that our hills and climate are such that we 

 can raise three types of horses which will sell at good figures, 

 the carriage horse,- roadster and draft horse. 



The first is the carriage horse. He should possess unusual 

 symetry, fullness of body and above all things coach or car- 

 riage action. He should stand close to sixteen hands high, 

 upheaded with smooth conformation, plump with muscles and 

 have sufficient weight to easily move a heavy carriage. The 

 action required in this type is the most necessary characteris- 

 tic. It is not necessary to go into details further than to say 

 that the high knee action and the high lifting movement 

 which indicates spirit and force rather than rapidity is what 

 is wanted. 



The roadster or as the market knows as the gentlemen's 

 driver, is a horse of a type quite different from the carriage 

 or coach horse. He is trimmer built, appearing somewhat 

 racy. His purpose is to contribute to the pleasure of some one 

 who enjoys driving and at times speeding with competitors. 

 Such a horse should be able to show a rapid gait and maintain 

 it. The action of this horse differs considerably from that of 

 the carriage horse as speed is one of the important considera- 

 tions in this type. 



The horse that seems to fit into farming production better 

 than any other is the draft horse. He should be of good 

 weight, 1200 to 1800 pounds. Horses of this kind are salable 

 at any time at a fair price. He should be massively built, deep 

 bodied, heavy in muscle and short in limbs, with feet properly 

 constructed of durable material. Such a horse can be econom- 

 ically raised on the farm. 



The farmers' advantages enable him to produce the differ- 

 ent types of horses cheaper than any one else. Horse labor on 

 the farm is necessary and there is every reason to believe 

 that to get the best results in breeding, some labor for a brood 

 mare is desirable. Not many farms have the ability to fur- 

 nish the carriage horse and gentlemen's driver. The farmer 

 may breed with great success these types of horses and make 

 it profitable and if he is content to take a fair price for them 



