SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VII. 55«> 



been purchased from some local horse trader, who goes about and picks up 

 a comparatively cheap horse that either has some blemishes or is a poor 

 breeder, and then sells him as a first class animal. Farmers cannot be 

 too careful in this matter, and as a rule we would advise them not to 

 purchase from local traders, but to deal directly with reputable breeders 

 of pure-bred stock. 



There is extant throughout the country an idea that an imported 

 stallion is much superior to one that has been bred in this country. The 

 impression is abroad that any stallion that has been bred across the water 

 must be a better animal than any produced in this country. One reason 

 for this is that in France, ^or instance, from which country a great many 

 of our imported stallions come, the government exercises supervision over 

 •all registered horses kept for breeding purposes. The government will 

 not allow an animal that is below the standard of his breed to be sold for 

 breeding purposes. This without any question is a most excellent practice, 

 and has done a great deal for the breeding up of French draft horses. 

 At the same time it must not be forgotten that the stallions raised are 

 not all top-notchers. There are always some comparatively poor Individ' 

 uals among each year's crop. Furthermore, the very best individuals of 

 a breed are seldom if ever for sale. This, however, does not mean that 

 imported horses are not in many cases very excellent, but what we wish to 

 bring out in this connection is that there are some horse importers who 

 go to foreign countries and instead of purchasing the best individuals 

 that are for sale, purchase rather poor stock, bringing it to this country 

 for the purpose of being peddled out to people who do not fully understand 

 the good points of a horse. These animals are not sold at lower prices 

 than the best individuals, and hence it is that in many caa^s farmers 

 buy stallions thac are not what they think they are. 



There is no reason on earth why we cannot breed as good horses in this 

 country as they can in France or in other foreign countries. In fact, 

 there are reasons for believing that we can breed better horses in this 

 country, and hence, we would urge farmers to pay less attention to 

 imported horses and more attention to the very best stallions bred iu 

 this country. There are many advantages in using home bred stock: 

 First, a man may visit the stud of a breeder and inspect his stock before 

 purchasing. He can study the dam and the sire of the horse he purchases, 

 which is never the case when he purchases an imported animal. Further- 

 more, if he trades with a reliable breeder he can secure all the written 

 guarantees that any man could reasonably expect, and therefore, can go 

 back on the breeder should the stallion not prove to be as represented. 

 Again, a home-bred horse is acclimated and is therefore, in much better 

 breeding condition than is one that has been imported three or four 

 months prior to the breeding season. 



One factor that is usually lost sight of is the importance of line 

 breeding. If one purchases an imported stallion it is rarely the case that 

 he can secure another one containing the same strains of blood in his 

 veins. On the other hand, if the stallion has been bred in this country 

 he can go back to the breeder and secure an animal bred similar to the 



