SELECTION, CAEE AND MANAGEMENT 573 



do not sell them, they are obliged to carry them 

 so long that the profit is taken up in extra feed 

 bills. 



"Farm chunks weighing from 1,200 to 1,500 

 pounds sell to the best advantage during the months 

 of December, January, and February, and there 

 is no market of any consequence for horses of any 

 kind during June. This, of course, has not been 

 true during the last two years, as the war demand 

 has been heaviest during the summer, but I am 

 speaking of the general commercial demand. 



"In selecting heavy draft horses for feeding, I 

 aim to buy about 60 days before I want to place 

 the horses on the market. I look for a big horse, 

 preferably one standing from 16.2 to 18 hands high. 

 Of course, anything from 16.1 up can be made into 

 a big horse, if he has the right proportions and is 

 given the feed necessary to finish him out. Eighteen 

 hands is too high, unless the horse is well propor- 

 tioned. A good draft gelding should have depth of 

 chest equal to one-half his height, and have the 

 spread of rib, depth of flank and other parts in 

 proportion. . In buying horses for the heavy gelding 

 trade, they should weigh from 1,600 to 1,650 pounds 

 to start with, and have the height mentioned. They 

 can be fed out to 1,900 or 2,000 pounds. 



"My ideal horse to put on feed is one that stands 

 around 17 hands high and is well proportioned, 

 weighing about 1,650 pounds in moderate condition. 

 Such a horse on feed 60 days will increase at least 

 an inch in height on account of the fact that the 

 flesh fills up over the withers and the feet grow 

 out longer. I want a horse that has a good big 

 head, clean-cut and wide between the eyes, with 

 well-set ears and reasonably long neck, clean-cut in 

 the throttle, with fairly sloping shoulders and a full 



