BREEDS OF HORSES 85 



might not hold even in South Carolina after several generations of 

 systematic breeding up, as will be shown later on. 



Selecting a Stallion. The selection of stallions to be used in 

 improving the native stock" is the next consideration. In breeding 

 animals on the farm one idea should be continually in the farmer's 

 mind breed true and do not cross. Nothing will produce mongrels 

 more quickly than to breed mares to a stallion of one breed, their 

 progeny to another, theirs to another, and so on. Breeding the same 

 mares to different stallions each year will result in the same thing in 

 the long run. To make success reasonably sure the farmer should 

 determine for himself which breed of horses suits him best and which 

 type in the breed. He should have only his own necessities and 

 market demands in mind. After making such a decision he should 

 select a good, sound, purebred stallion and breed to him, selecting 

 others as may be needed to prevent inbreeding. 



How to Buy the Stallion. After the decision has been made to 

 improve the native stock by breeding to purebred stallions, steps 

 should be taken to get such a horse if one is not in the vicinity. As 

 a general rule it is probable that purebred stallions are not found in 

 very many parts of the South, and few farmers have enough mares 

 to warrant the purchase of a horse outright. Where such is the case, 

 enough men in a neighborhood to represent the ownership of, say, 

 75 or 80 mares might -band together and organize a company for the 

 purchase of a horse, each man paying into the treasury of the com- 

 pany a sum proportioned to the number of mares he wishes to breed. 

 Then let this company decide on the breed to use and send a com- 

 petent representative to visit breeding farms and select a horse. 

 This same plan may be used for the purchase of a jack. By purchas- 

 ing in this way animals can be obtained at the lowest possible fig- 

 ures and the company has the advantage of dealing with the breeders 

 direct rather than through their agents. Furthermore, if the repre- 

 sentative of the company is qualified to judge, the company is likely 

 to get good value. 



The company system of selling stallions used by many importers 

 and breeders is applied in the opposite manner. A representative of 

 a stallion owner visits a community and himself proceeds to organize 

 a company. He frequently associates some prominent man with 

 him, giving him a share of stock for his influence. When sufficient 

 men come in to cover the selling price of the stallion at the fixed 

 price for shares, each member gives his note for the amount repre- 

 sented by his share, the agent discounts these notes, and the horse is 

 sold. It is an unfortunate thing that this company method of selling 

 stallions is used. Many horsemen condemn it strongly, even though 

 they may use it. Its existence is condoned on the plea that if it were 

 not used the horses would not be sold ; that the horse must be taken 

 to the buyer, because the buyer will not go to the horse. That may 

 have^been true in the Central West several years ago, and it may be 

 true in some parts of the South to-day, but in this day of tremendous 

 prices for horses of all kinds it seems strange that a really good 

 horse can not be sold on its merits. 



