THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 603 



swear in to any of these that you want to and force registry but we 

 want to make it impossible so far as we can. We want every one that 

 has stock whether cattle, horses, sheep or hogs, in the near future to be 

 able to trace the pedigree back to some responsible registry. I believe 

 your organization is one of the best things that could happen for that 

 particular line of work for the horse industry. We want to make it easy 

 for a man to raise the registered animal. The law provides that if an 

 animal is not registered the owner has to say the animal is a grade and 

 publish the fact on the bill and every place where the animal is adver- 

 tised. There is no excuse for a man using a grade stallion in this state 

 if he reads the law. It is not a hardship on the man. He does not have 

 to have a veterinary examine the horse and I would just as soon take 

 the breeder's word as the veterinarian's. You as a breeder know whether 

 the animal is sound or not. You cannot raise an animal and be with 

 him from the time he is born every day and not know the weakness of 

 that animal. You know whether he is subject to an ailment that will 

 disqualify him. Nine times out of ten you will be nearer the truth as 

 regards that animal than the veterinarian, the average veterinarian. If 

 you have a horse for sale or service you should see where he is v/eak, 

 if at all, and whether he is free from any disease that would disqualify 

 him. If not he should not be offered for sale or service. In section five 

 of the law you will find the means of preventing a man from standing a 

 stallion that you consider unfit for service. You select one man, the 

 board of agriculture selects another and these two agree upon a third. 

 This committee renders a final decision and if you are right the state 

 pays for it. If you are not right you pay for it. In other words we want 

 to have this law so clear and simple that it will be next to impossible to 

 violate the law and if it is violated to provide an easy means of rectify- 

 ing that mistake and put it right so that all this business which is done 

 under cover will be taken away from the horse business. It is up to you 

 as breeders of this state to get away from it. You want the standard 

 so high that when a horse breeder says that his horse is sound it will 

 go just as far as the horse can travel. I want it" so simple and plain 

 that there is no question about it. There will be some changes you want 

 to suggest. We did not claim that this was perfect and did not when it 

 was passed. You cannot make a law that is absolutely perfect. You 

 will need to make some changes. You want to look at this question from 

 all angles, see how it affects the breeders of the state and then make the 

 change if you are satisfied that it is changed for the interest of all peo- 

 ple. The draft horse industry is one of the greatest industries of this 

 or any other state. I believe this law, while it is in its imperfect form, 

 if you please, is one of the best ones ever made in regard to horse breeding 

 industry. 



