Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 501 



fully. The production of light horses requires a higher order of skill 

 both in breeding and salesmanship than does the production of the 

 draft horse, and when this is supplied, light horse breeding is a profit- 

 able enterprise. Hence the selection of the type to breed should be 

 governed largely by the ability of the man who is to supervise the breed- 

 ing, provided, of course, he is to work under conditions not unfavorable 

 to the type he is best qualified to produce. 



Perhaps in no other field have so many breeders found themselves 

 mistaken regarding their abilities as in the breeding of the trotting 

 horse. This type appeals strongly to the majority of Americans, and 

 many farmers and others have believed that they knew a safe and sure 

 system of breeding for speed. Even in the best of hands, the breeding 

 of trotters is very doubtful as to results, and only a small percentage 

 of the foals ever attain anything noteworthy on the turf. Speed is an 

 elusive quality dependent on such a rare combination of good qualities 

 in the animal as to make results in breeding very uncertain, and it 

 should be understood that only a few men possess the special qualifica- 

 tions necessary to success in breeding this type of horse, and that only 

 the wealthy, who are willing to accept the pleasure and fascination of 

 the undertaking as partial remuneration for the capital invested, can 

 ordinarily afford to take up this difficult art. A few men of moderate 

 means have made a success with trotters by selling yearlmgs as "pros- 

 pects," to be developed in the hands of someone else, but even this 

 method is uncertain as to results financially. 



Pony breeding offers a good field for profit to those who are in a 

 position to reach the trade for Shetland, Welsh, or Hackney ponies. 

 The breeding of polo ponies, however, is as yet a very uncertain under- 

 taking comparable to breeding trotters. 



Selecting a breed. — After the type of horse has been chosen, it is 

 next in order to decide what breed of that type shall be selected. The 

 choice of a breed is not so serious or important a matter as the selec- 

 tion of a type or the selection of the individuals which are to compose 

 the stud. It will depend largely upon the personal fancy of the breeder, 

 although in some types of horses in certain localities, one breed may be 

 so much liked or another breed so much disliked as to make it advisable 

 for the new breeder to conform to the choice of the community, if it 

 is possible to do so. He can then profit from the experience and advice 

 of his neighbors, he will benefit from a greater number of local sales 

 of his stock, and there will be more stallions to select among when 

 mating his mares. Communities noted for the production of many 

 good horses of a certain type or breed attract buyers from a distance. 



Selecting the individuals. — We now come to the matter of select- 

 ing the individuals which are to compose the stud. First of all, they 



