208 The Hokse Industry in New York State 



from such sires as wfll transmit type to their offspring. Our 

 agricultural societies can be a great help by devoting more 

 thoiight to the horse exhibits at their fairs. A sufficient amount 

 should be given in premiums to encourage a friendly rivalry 

 among the farmers in colt raising. They should refuse an appli- 

 cation of entrance to any but pure-blood stallions with certificates 

 of registration. 



^Yith the development of agriculture, the demand for the farm 

 type of horse is increasing, and this need is met by a scarcity. 

 Why is there a scarcity ? This is a big question to answer. First 

 of all is the lack of a proper law to eliminate the scrub or grade 

 stallion, the offspring of which are of poor type and unmarketable. 

 It costs no more to raise a colt from a pure-blood sire than from 

 a scrub or grade. We must add the service fee, of course, but 

 the colt from the pure-blood is much more valuable and will bring 

 a higher price. This should be taken into consideration. 



The horse breeding industry is and has been carried on very 

 unintelligently, and the results have been very unsatisfactory. 

 We have depended too much upon the other fellow. Now this indi- 

 vidual has failed to meet the expectation, and the result is an 

 extremely high price for the popular work horse, and no market, 

 so far as revenue is concerned, for the colt from the stallion with 

 no breeding. To this very individual is due the undesirable state 

 of aff"airs in the breeding operations of this state ; and this con- 

 dition has been augmented by the presence of hereditary un- 

 soundness, lack of discrimination and judgment in mating, and 

 inattention to adequate feeding and suitable sanitary stabling. 



great opportunity for new YORK STATE HORSES 



We should realize the advantage of growing our own horses. 

 It is estimated that New York State requires 10,000 horses 

 annually to meet its demands ; and, if we put the average price at 

 $200, which is low, think what that amounts to — $20,000,000 ! 

 And most of that goes out of the state. With our rich pastures and 

 excellent facilities, we should be an exporting instead of an im- 

 porting state — not only of horses but other agricultural products. 

 Of our 214,650 farms, 93.6 per cent, or 200,989, reported 

 domestic animals; 86.7 per cent, or 186,164, reported horses, and 



