1906 ON HORSE BREEDING IN ONTARIO. »1 



Ontario. 



Uxbridge is a township where light sires are in majority. Thero are 

 five Standard-breds and a French Canadian, to one Percheron and three 

 Clydesdales. All are pure-bred as far as seen, and mostly sound, with good 

 average conformation. There are no stud fees lower than |10, while the 

 highest is |15 in three instances. Mares are good in type and fair in 

 quality, averaging 1,250 to 1,300 lbs. in weight. No old marea are bred, 

 and there is very little foal mortality in this section. 



In Scott township there was only one sire inspected, a Thoroughbred, 

 of fair type and sound, standing at |12. Mares in this township are mnch 

 the same as in Uxbridge, but with an average of only one to each breeder. 



Reach is a large township, and has a fair proportion of stallions, con- 

 sisting of nine Clydesdales, a cross-bred Clydesdale and Shire, a Thorough- 

 bred, and two Standard-breds (one of the latter a grade). All but one were 

 serviceably sound, and they are in general a pretty good lot. Ten to 

 thirteen dollars are- chargea for fees, but there is one grade standing for 

 $6. The Thoroughbred is an old Queen's Plate winner, now well up in 

 years. The average number of mares kept by farmers is IJ, and they are 

 good in quality and of nice type, with an average weight of 1,300 lbs. 



Brock township inclines mostly to heavy sires, there being six Clydes- 

 dales to two Standard-breds. In some cases the horses are not as well, looked 

 after as they should be, and three of them are getting on in years. They 

 are nearly all (as far as inspected) serviceably sound, and of quite good 

 average conformation. None are grades, but some of the service fees are 

 quite as low as if they had been, viz., |8 and |9. The majority, however, 

 run from flO to fl5. 



In Thorah township, four Clydesdales, one Shire, and one Hackney 

 were inspected. The minimum fee is |12, and the maximum $17. In 

 this township there is an improvement in the average weight of mares, and 

 also in their type and qti^Iity. Some horsemen here were of the opinion that 

 little could be done to 'mprove the standard of horses by licensing sires. 



Four stallions, all Clydesdales have their routes in Mara township, one 

 of these is a very old horse. The other three are sound and of good con- 

 formation , with fee^ of from $10 to |14. The average weight of the marea 

 is 1,400 lbs., and they are of good average quality. Farmers here are well 

 posted as to the injury that would be done by allowing scrub stallions tf> 

 serve mares. 



With the exception of one registered Standard-bred and two nondes- 

 cripts, all the stallions inspected in East and West Whitby townships were 

 Clydesdales, and they number 25, the list being largely made up of the 

 horses in the stables of breeders and importers. The stallions throughout 

 this township are almost without exception sound, and of a class to im- 

 prove the standard of heavy horses in the Province. Eliminating the 

 horses which' stand for $S each, the horses travelling in this district ba^?e 

 service fees of from |10 to |15, and |25 in one instance for a Stamdard- 

 bred. There are a good lot of mares, in weight 1,400 lbs., and of good 

 Clydesdale character. 



The number of stallioiis in Pickering township is 43, of which 26 are 

 Clydesdales, 14 Hackneys and Hackney ponies, and three Standard-breds 

 (two of these being grades). Many of these are for sale, and are not stand- 

 ing for regular service, but those that do, earn service fees of from |10 to 

 |20. The general average is naturally good, and soundness is the rule. 

 The mares in this township are a good lot, having an average weight of 

 1,400 lbs., and in type favoring the Clydesdale. 



6 H.B. 



