THE BREEDING OF HORSES 205 



draft fiHy at two years of age is often as forward as one of 

 trotting breeding almost or fully a year older. Again, there is 

 a gi-eat difference in individuals and their development. Usually 

 a smootlily turned, neat, well-finished youngster makes its growth 

 much sooner than an apparently rougher but more growthy indi- 

 vidual, although as a rule the latter attains, eventually, to much 

 greater scale. Furthermore, the same individual may develop 

 in much less time in the hands of the feeder who keeps her con- 

 tinually " doing " than Avhen required to make all her growth 

 on pasture, with a material setback due to improper feeding each 

 Avinter season. 



It does not seem feasible to include in this discussion any 

 but the Avell-matured draft filly, she being the only one which 

 should, imder any circumstances, be bred as a two-year-old. 

 It is not reasonable to suppose that, from the point of view of the 

 filly herself, early breeding is beneficial, but as a business propo- 

 sition it has been demonstrated that, whatever slight injurious 

 effect the filly may suffer, it is not sufficient to offset the advan- 

 tage of having her make some return, as a three-year-old, to the 

 man who has his money invested and is paying for her keep. 

 It is more satisfactory to have a tAvo-year-old filly pay her way 

 by raising a foal than by going to work in the field, as she is very 

 much more apt to suffer permanent injury from this than from 

 being bred. Even though a great many two-year-olds are capable 

 of doing a considerable amount of selected work, they cannot 

 take the. full part of a horse's work without danger of its becom- 

 ing detrimental to their ultimate worth. 



The breeding of fillies is believed to insure their becoming 

 better mothers and more certain and regular breeders, eventually, 

 than though they be permitted to fully develop and become some- 

 Avhat " staggy," as they do occasionally, before being bred. 



Practice Elsewhere. — The best means of solving this prob- 

 lem is to accept the findings of the other great horse-producing 

 countries where it has been thoroughly worked out. In Scotr 

 land, for instance, the practice is to breed the Clyde fillies the 

 spring they are two years old, allowing them no work whatever 

 that season. Then, after weaning their foals, they are taken up 



