88 Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses 



and may have to be referred to differently in treating of the breed- 

 ing and rearing of each ; but the remarks on the general management 

 may be applied to all the breeds alike. 



With the formation of societies and the publication of stud 

 books a general advance has been made in the improvement and 

 development of all the heavy breeds during the last generation or 

 two. The science of breeding has been brought within the reach 

 of every farmer who has capital and convenience to embark in it. 

 Previously it was confined to the few men of genius, born horsemen 

 and enthusiasts, who on meeting began to talk of horses before the 

 seat got warm — men who knew every horse of note in the county 

 and a good many outside it, every horse of their lifetime, and the 

 history of many that lived before their time — men who knew where 

 to find a good mare, and the best horse to send her to. To such 

 men we owe what improvement was effected in the type, size, and 

 quality of the horse. To such also we owe a great deal of the 

 information collected and conserved in the early volumes of the 

 Stud Books — information which enables every farmer to breed on 

 the right lines. 



It would be interesting to trace how the heavy horses came to 

 be divided into three breeds, and the causes that led to the develop- 

 ment of the different types; but that enquiry scarcely comes within 

 the scope of the present chapter. 



THE MARE 



The first and most important subject for consideration in horse 

 breeding is the selection of suitable mares. The idea that a mare 

 which has broken down and is unfit for work is a suitable animal 

 to breed from must be waved aside at once. If success is to be 

 attained in breeding, great care is necessary in the selection of 

 foundation stock. How, when, and where, and what to get, are all 

 questions of great importance. Men of wealth can always com- 

 mand the best, and by plucky speculation at some of the periodical 

 auction sales can always acquire some good breeding animals, even 

 if they do not all turn out quite a success. A tenant farmer of 

 limited capital cannot afford to speculate; he must lay out his 

 money carefully. To do so he must have a clear idea of the type 

 of animal he requires, whichever breed it represents. The age to 

 buy at is of some importance. By buying fillies of one or two 

 years old, which have the full length of their breeding life before 

 them, he secures not only the full term of their life but also the 

 best and most vigorous years. A brood mare should be young 



