Care oi' riii-: Stallion 143 



buvt^r sliouldfflW^*i^^t6^ f^^' ^^^^ ^^''^^^' '^"^ '^^ ^^^^^^ one-lialf of tho 



is not necessa;^jL ^o 5 for a breeding stallion is about right. Care 



,v,v^y '■^'^i^^pPPP^'t to overfeed; coarse timothy hay and corn are 



boti ifardto digest and carry little protein, and they should be 



fed sparingly, if at all, to breeding stock. 



Fresh, pure water is very important and should be given before 

 each feeding; if vv^orking in warm weather, a horse should be al- 

 lowed a drink between meals. A good groom will always water 

 and hx the bed the last thing at night after the horse has finished 

 his evening meal. Salt may be added to grain feed or kept where 

 the stallion can help himself. If necessary to regulate the bowels, 

 feed a little oil meal or give pure linseed oil ; if bowels are too 

 active, reduce the feed and add charcoal to the ration. Avoid 

 all stock foods or concoctions of that nature; far better employ a 

 reliable veterinary. 



AVOID AX EXCESS OF -FAT 



Xo one can successfully deny that a Uirge percentage of the 

 stallions sold in Xew York State have proved a poor investment 

 as a commercial proposition, one reason being that few have been 

 sold for their real worth. The demand has been for the corn-fed, 

 stall-fed, poorly-exercised, excessively fat stallion that looks good 

 and weighs heavy, but often proves a shy breeder the first season, 

 and when reduced in flesh to breeding condition is often found 

 disappointing in quality. Don't blame the dealer, however, for 

 as long as buyers want fat and are willing to pay the price, they 

 will get it. It costs a heap of money, time and work to put a 

 stallion in show shape — perhaps a hundred dollars, perhaps one 

 thousand dollars, depending on the age of the horse and how well 

 the work is done, and the buyer pays a fancy price for damaged 

 goods. However, a draft horse should carry some flesh, although 

 they rarely have too much if worked or given plenty of exercise, 

 with oats and bran for their grain ration. 



A GOOD DRAFT STALLIOX A PROFITABLE INVESTMENT 



A good draft stallion will pay as well or better than any other 

 live stock in any good farming community, but he should earn his 

 keep at the regular farm work. Beginners should buy a young one 

 • — a vearling, a two-year-old or even a weanling ; he should be of 

 good size, well grown for his age and in good condition. The 



