IV 



THE HORSE AS A MOTOR FOR PLOWING 



IF WE look backward we will find the first horse 

 a five-toed animal, no larger than a dog, paddling about 

 in the marshes. With the drying up of the swamps 

 he became a land animal, losing a part of his toes. 

 In the wild state he was obliged to procure his own food 

 and protect himself from his enemies. The weakest were 

 eliminated by natural selection, and gradually the race increased 

 in size and swiftness. Many habits, instincts, and char- 

 acteristics developed during ages of the survival of the fittest 

 are not essential in the domesticated horse, but still endure 

 to affect the efficiency of the animal in its present field. 



The present-day farm horse is largely a man-made product. 

 Starting with the wild horse, man has molded the animal to 

 suit his various needs. He has taken it out of its wild en- 

 vironment, given it food and shelter, protected it from its 

 natural enemies, lengthened its life by breeding from the 

 hardiest stock, and by studying how to conserve its health and 

 strength. He has studied its possibilities, made use of its 

 natural characteristics, has produced widely divergent forms 

 each fitted for a special purpose. However in nature, selection 

 was slow, often accidental. Under man's influence the proc- 

 ess has been only a little faster. Defects could be recognized 

 and eliminated, but only by the slow process of mating and 

 waiting for results. A fortunate breeder, starting with the 

 best of stock, could not take over a dozen steps in advance in 

 the course of a lifetime. The death of the best individuals 



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