268 THE HORSE 



benefit; since the wealthy breeder usually has the 

 lesson of breeding fairly well learned, and, in case he 

 has not, is amply able to employ experienced and 

 trained foremen. The wealthy breeder often goes so 

 fast and so far that the commoner loses contact and 

 hesitates to follow. 



The farmer carrying on mixed husbandry has con- 

 stant use for horses during a part of the year. For 

 about six months they are often overwirked; during 

 the balance of the year the cost of maintenance 

 exceeds the value of their services. To minimize this 

 expense, the grain ration is much reduced or entirely 

 dispensed with. The coarse and innutritions roughage, 

 which cannot be readily disposed of in the market, is 

 used to furnish a ration which sometimes falls short 

 of the maintenance standard. In the spring, the 

 horses are soft and inefficient, and when put to severe 

 work are often permanently injured. Usually the ani- 

 mals are too light for the service required; in rare 

 cases, too heavy. Many are "weedy" and weak, 

 when the highest endurance should be possessed to 

 carry the farm -horse through the rush of opring seed- 

 ing and harvest. In the following chapter something 

 is said as to adapting the breed to the work to be 

 performed and as to the details of raising winter 

 colts. Here, it is proposed to speak to that large 

 number of farmers who pay little or no attention to 

 breeding horses and give but scant care to the 

 horses already possessed. When one is worn out 

 another is purchased, or the attempt is made to farm 

 with too few work -animals. All this results in slovenly 



