234 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



have been bred along distinct lines, and intelligently so, for 

 many generations. It seems to me we will find all the merits 

 that we are looking for in horses of that type or of those 

 breeds, but if we want to select a hackney, a French colt or 

 German Oldenburg horse, those are both good types. Why, 

 I could tell you the history of the breeding of some of those 

 classes as I have studied it in their native countries, and I 

 think you would be surprised. They are so particular with 

 their breeding that the government comes in and puts its hand 

 on a man and says, you must do so and so. A man is not 

 allowed to breed in any way that he may choose. He must 

 get the. consent of the government to do it before they will 

 allow him to breed a horse. When our government steps in, 

 perhaps not as radically as that, I am disposed to think it 

 may be a good thing. But, my friends, it is something to 

 select the highest type of farm animals, and in doing that 

 for breeding purposes one of the first and most essential things 

 is to get good parentage. 



So then, in the selection of horses, be sure, first of all, 

 as I said a few moments ago, that you have a vigorous animal, 

 and then you want one of good form. One of the principal 

 reasons or justifications that we have for breeding or keeping 

 horses, is to get something out of them, and a good looking 

 horse always sells the best. So always look out and require 

 good action, I do not care whether it is a draft horse, weigh- 

 ing a ton, or whether it is a carriage horse weighing eleven 

 hundred pounds, if that horse fails in its ability to travel 

 well, that horse is a failure all the way through. When a 

 horse is traveling the impression which anyone gets of an 

 animal is largely from the action, so that the ability to travel 

 in good style is one of the first requirements. Now in judging 

 of the action of a horse it seems to me that people are hardly 

 complete enough in their methods of examining the horse. 

 What I mean is this. I think if three-fourths of the farmers 

 up in our county were to show their horses to prospective 

 buyers they would take them out of the stable with a long 

 rein or strap attached to them, and let the horse go around 

 in the yard for a little while. Now, brother farmers, you can- 

 not tell a thing about the action of a horse in that way. You 

 can get no idea about it. Some of them will take the horse 



