THE HORSE INDUSTRY 



JOHN BRIGHT, Dominion Live Stock Commissioner. 



The Canadian horse industry is now entering upon a new era in its history. How- 

 ever, before taking up the existing situation, it would appear advisable to go back a 

 couple of decades and review conditions that obtained during the closing years of the 

 last century, and up to the outbreak of the war. 



The periods of so-called good and hard times seem to occur in cycles of years. The 

 cause is the condition of the money market and its consequent effect upon all kinds of 

 business. No industry is so quickly affected by a depression as that of the horse breeder 

 and in probably no country does this statement apply with greater force than in Canada. 

 Being a young country, large sums of money are needed to develop the latent resources 

 of our farms, forests, mines and other industries. To this end it has been necessary 

 to engage extensively in the building of railroad systems and other public works. How- 

 ever, when conditions changed in the money market and the banks refused to loan as 

 previously, a reaction necessarily followed. Manufacturers curtailed operations, while 

 all great works ceased except those really necessary. A study of the horse census of 

 Canada gives a fair idea of these fluctuations in the money market, or cycles of good 

 and hard times. 



The Period from 1891 to 1901. — During this decade the horse population of 

 Canada increased, in round numbers, 100,000 as against over 400,000 for the previous 

 ten years. Toward the close of the period light horses became a drug on the market, 

 while the demand for draughters was limited, and the price very low. The result was 

 that in many sections of the country breeders became careless. They ceased patronizing 

 pure bred sires, because of the service fee. In other sections they almost ceased breeding 

 heavy horses for the time being. Others started raising light horses. As it was impos- 

 sible to get rid of anything but the best, the practice of breeding mares that were old, 

 unsound and of poor conformation became prevalent. This, coupled with the use of 

 scrub sires in many parts of Canada, produced a retrograde movement. Fortunately 

 for the country, however, many of the good districts continued to improve their horses 

 and when conditions changed supplied much of the breeding stock with which to start 

 anew. 



The outbreak of the South African War in 1899 had a beneficial effect upon horse 

 breeding. While it lasted many thousands of horses were taken out of the country, 

 and for the country's good. The exportation of the surplus, the brightening of 

 conditions in the money market and the rush of immigration, had a far-reaching effect. 

 People began breeding horses again. 



The Period from 1901 to 1913— Between 1901 and 1911 the horse population 

 increased a little over 1,000,000, or almost ten times as many as during the previous ten 

 years. During the next three years the increase amounted to over 250,000, a considerable 

 falling off taking place duiing the years 1913 and 1914. 



The Cause — From 1901 to 1912 the country developed beyond the most sanguine 

 expectations of the people, and the price of horses rose to the highest point in the 



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