SELECTION, CARE AND MANAGEMENT 555 



of work — all from grazing on tlie range and a nearly 

 grainless ration. These horses are transmitting their 

 draft characteristics to their purebred offspring and 

 also are proving of unlimited value in crossing on 

 smaller-typed horses. 



"Four good legs constitute the foundation of any 

 draft horse, and a square, compact, close-coupled 

 body must follow a close second. From an expe- 

 rience covering a long term of years I have reached 

 the conclusion that we can raise better horses here 

 in the west, with its pure air and splendid water 

 and range conditions, ideal for plenty of exercise, 

 feeding them nothing but hay and grass, than can 

 be raised imder the ordinary eastern conditions 

 where the horses are fed all kinds of feed during 

 the entire year. Our horses are as large as the 

 eastern horses, and more free from blemishes or 

 imperfections. It has also been my observation that 

 the Percheron is one of the best rustlers of any of 

 the draft breeds, often going through the winter 

 under the same conditions as the common range 

 animal and many of them coming out in the spring 

 in good shape and fit for work. The tendency in 

 this country is toward the Percheron, with better 

 sires and dams than were found a few years ago. 

 In a large number of the horses of the Percheron 

 breed that I see today on the farms of this county 

 I can trace a resemblance to my first sire, brought 

 into the country years ago. With the passing of the 

 years this improvement will be more noticeable." 



Management of Foals and Yearlings. — We are in- 

 debted to Messrs. M. C. Hodgson & Sons for this 

 statement of their experience in the feeding and de- 

 velopment of young stock: 



"At the very outset, credit must be giveii to Eli 

 Hodgson, father of M. C. Hodgson and grandfather 



