BREEDS OF HORSES 79 



of $126 a head. The same authority estimates the number of mules 

 in the State on the same date at 134,690, with a total farm value of 

 $20,598,121 and an average of $153 a head. 



The average life of a horse in South Carolina from the time he is 

 mature may be estimated at eight years and that of a mule at ten 

 years. The stock of horses and mules must therefore be replaced 

 once in each eight or ten years, respectively ; or, to express it differ- 

 ently, 10,000 horses and 13,000 mules must be raised or brought into 

 the State annually. If all were bred in South Carolina that would 

 require at least 135 stallions and 12,500 mares for horse breeding, 

 estimating a stallion to get 75 colts annually and 75 per cent of the 

 mares to breed each year. For breeding mules the number of jacks 

 required would be at least 240 and the number of mares 26,000, esti- 

 mating a jack to get 50 mules a year and about 50 per cent of the 

 mares bred to jacks to breed. This would mean a total of at least 

 38,000 brood mares. To keep up this supply of breeding mares 

 probably 10,000 more should be added to the total. In other words, 

 at least one-half of the total number of horses now in the State should 

 be mares used in breeding both horses and mules. 



Furthermore, these estimates do not take into account the num- 

 ber of foals and horses from one to four years old necessary to keep up 

 this number, which would be nearly as many more. Therefore, if 

 South Carolina produced her own horses and mules, nearly as many 

 horses and mares as the State now has altogether would have to be 

 in the breeding ranks. In other words, the State has only half as 

 many horses as are actually needed. If we had no proof, this 

 alone would show that the State goes elsewhere for its horses and 

 mules. 



Reasons for Raising Horses and Mules at Home. In the opin- 

 ion of the writer, there are three reasons why South Carolina farmers 

 should raise their own horses and mules. The first one is to keep 

 within the State the great sum which is paid annually for stock 

 shipped in from the North and West. From the estimates given and 

 from the best information at hand, which is largely in the nature of 

 estimates of southern men of experience and authority, it would ap- 

 pear that probably only about 2,000 of the horses and 1,000 of the 

 mules used annually are raised in the State. Estimating the cost of 

 the horses delivered to the South Carolina farmer at $125 each and of 

 mules at $175 each, the amount of money sent out of the State an- 

 nually is $1,000,000 for horses and $1,925,000 for mules $3,000,- 

 000 in round numbers, which could be retained in the State to good 

 advantage. 



It may be said that if the State produced its own horses and 

 mules the general market of the country might suffer, and local 

 horse and mule breeders might not be able to raise them at a profit. 

 It is doubtful if this is true, in view of the tremendous activity of the 

 horse and mule market 3 . The year 1906 was one of unparalleled 

 prosperity for horse and mule breeders. Prices bounded skyward, 

 and for all classes there was a demand greater than the market could 

 supply. This demand shows every indication of being maintained 



