1906 ON HORSE BREEDING IN ONTARIO. 129 



SPECIAL REPORT OF INSPECTORS. 



The condition of the horse-breeding industry in District No. 8 was 

 perhaps in a more backward state than the Inspectors were prepared to find 

 it. We found a number of serviceable animals of what maj be termed the 

 general-purpose sort, but there was a marked absence in the district of mar- 

 ket horses of each and every class. Of really good draught animals there 

 were practically none, and the average of the Clydesdale, Shire, and Per- 

 cheron grades was distinctly light in weight, and on the whole they were not 

 of high quality. It was observed that a very large number of the horses of 

 the district carried in their veins a noticeable percentage of trotting bred 

 and French Canadian blood and were of corresponding conformation. The 

 blood of the various breeds had, however, been so intermixed that no uni- 

 form type had been evolved, nor had anj high standard of excellence been 

 reached through the policy of breeding that had been followed. It may be 

 remarked in passing that through the enterprise of certain importers and 

 breeders in buying and using superior sires in a few townships in Dundas 

 and Glengarry counties, there was a noticeable improvement over the aver- 

 age of the horses of the district. In the county of Glengarry both heavy 

 and light horses are raised, but the former are more suitable and profitable. 

 The difficulty in this county, as throughout the seven counties we traversed, 

 is that breeders have not got heavy enough mares. This difficulty could be 

 overcome by the importation of heacvy mares, and in the opinion of some the 

 Government might with advantage give pecuniary assistance for that purpose. 



In no mistaken terms did a goodly number pronounce against the so- 

 called general purpose horse that was permitted, to travel the road for service 

 to-day. There is no doubt that many of them should be barred out entirely 

 or compelled to stay at the owner's stable. If this were done the better 

 horses would almost invariably be used, and, as a consequence, a superior 

 breed of horses would be raised and a better price be obtainable. 



One point the people were all agreed upon, namely that there were a 

 number of horses travelling the country that were a detriment rather than 

 a help to the horse-breeding business. 



In the popularity of the dairy industry in Eastern Ontario, in the lack 

 of information among the farmers as to what constitutes real merit in horses, 

 in the practice of indiscriminate breeding, and in the use of inferior breed- 

 ing stock of both sexes, reasons may be found for the somewhat backward 

 condition of the horse breeding business in the counties under consideration. 

 The higher prices paid for horses within the last few years, together with 

 the intelligent enterprise of a number of breeders in introducing a better 

 class of stallions, have, howtever, awakened a very general interest in horse- 

 breeding which should be the promise of a marked advancement in the near 

 future. The movement undertaken by the Government to promote the horse 

 Interests in the Province has been, we think, a timely and popular one, and 

 almost without exception the commissioners were cordially and courteously 

 received by horsemen of the district. Under the advice of our instructions 

 we attempted to gain the confidence of the stallion owners, and were repaid 

 by generous treatment at their hands, and a ready response in an expression 

 of opinion in answer to the questions asked. While large numbers did not 

 attend the public meetings, these did not lack interest, and the attitude of 

 these metings would, we think, be a fair gauge of the opinion of the horse- 

 men of the whole district. This opinion is 'perhaps stated with sufficient 

 clearness in the main body of the report, and need not be repeated here. 



9 H.B. 



