Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses 95 



owner possessed of a number of horses of varying types who is 

 wilh'ng to let the public have the use of these horses, are better 

 served in the choice of a horse than where they are tied to the use 

 of the Society's hired horse. 



The mares of a district are not all alike. The horse chosen 

 by the Society, even if he is one of the best in the country, is not 

 likely to suit all the mares; so that a still greater benefit to a dis- 

 trict is the existence of a private stud, the property of some wealthy 

 farmer or enterprising landowner. Such a stud, in which are 

 stallions of different ages, varying types, and different sizes, gives 

 a much better opportunity of mating the mares with suitable 

 stallions, and is of incalculable service to the breeders of a district. 

 ■ Every farmer who has such a choice should keep one or more mares 

 and rear young horses of the best sort. 



The reprehensible practice of beating down the service fee to 

 the lowest possible pitch, thereby encouraging the travelling of 

 cheap, unsound or worthless horses, is a "penny wise pound foolish'' 

 practice, which ought to be discountenanced by every right-minded 

 farmer. Owners of good horses deserve encouragement, and they 

 cannot afford to keep a good horse and accept a small fee. 



Railway companies now give improved facilities for conveying 

 brood mares to distant studs, so that the best horses are almost 

 within reach of everyone. There are drawbacks to this plan ; for 

 one thing, the expense is considerable. To a wealthy landowner 

 it may appear but a trifle, while to a tenant farmer it may seem an 

 outlay which he does not care to face. There is a high fee, the 

 keep of the mare for several weeks, railway freight, risk of travel- 

 ling, disadvantage of being from under the owner's observation, 

 and possibly no result, or a disappointing result, at the finish. 

 There is a certain element of uncertainty in all arrangements of 

 this sort, but the uncertainty seems to be greatly increased when 

 the mare has to be sent off some distance. " The best laid schemes 

 o' mice and men gang aft aglee." And it has been noticed many 

 times that very weedy foals have been the result of excellent mares 

 being sent a long way to noted horses. However, this risk must 

 be faced sometimes when there is no better alternative. 



The proper plan is to select a sire of repute as a stock-getter, 

 not necessarily a prizewinner. Many of our greatest prizewinners 

 have been disappointing at the stud, while some of our most noted 

 sires made no show in the ring. Of course, it is almost impossible 

 to get a horse possessing as many good qualities as we should like 

 and be, at the same time, free from bad ones. If the mare has 

 a weak spot or deficiency anywhere — and most mares have — the 



