Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses 107 



HIRING STALLIONS 



Stallion owners prefer now, when they have the opportunity, 

 to let out their horses to some society or company, and are even 

 prepared to accept a smaller sum than the prospective amount 

 they might realize by travelling him in a certain district. The 

 obvious advantages are that a certain sum is assured, and the 

 money is paid in one payment or it may be by two instalments, 

 the society taking the onus of collecting the fees from the members. 



It has always been a troublesome and disagreeable part of the 

 business of the horse owner to collect the fees. The fee is not usually 

 a large item, but it is apt to be forgotten or postponed indefinitely 

 by the farmer. He is not likely to forget to pay his rent, as that is 

 a large item; but it is a general cause of complaint among horse 

 owners that he does forget to pay the small item of the horse fee, 

 that they have to wait a long time for the fee, have trouble in 

 getting it, and some of it may never be paid at all. The society 

 also takes the onus of getting up the number of mares, whereas 

 it is a matter of uncertainty what number may be got if the horse 

 is travelled as a private speculation ; besides, it saves the necessary 

 expense of canvassing and treating to get the promise of mares. 



When hiring out a horse to an association, it is important to 

 have a written and stamped agreement stipulating the amount 

 of fee, date of payment, numbers of mares nominated, date to 

 begin travelling, and date of finish. Most societies have certain 

 rules drawn out which they compel the horse owner to adhere to. 

 One of these generally stipulates that the owner of the horse pays 

 all expenses of travelling, and that in the event of the horse dying 

 or breaking down in health during the season, the owner has to 

 send a substitute to the satisfaction of the committee. 



The above is perhaps the most general and simplest form of 

 hiring arrangement; but some societies offer a certain sum as a 

 premium, and in addition a certain fee per mare, the number being 

 uncertain, or it may be a certain fee per foal, the number of which 

 is still more uncertain. The latter system involves a prolonged 

 account between the parties. Various modifications of these 

 systems are in use by other societies. 



Opinions differ greatly as to the number of mares which 

 should be allotted to each horse, and a good deal of controversy 

 has arisen over the question. Most societies fix the maximum for 

 a horse at full age at one hundred; a four-year-old at eighty; a 

 three-year-old at fifty; whilst it is generally considered that a two- 

 year-old colt should not be allowed more than eight or ten. There 



