THE BREEDS OF HORSES C9 



This is emphasize! by the advancement made in breeding 

 Standardbred horses, where an accurate record of the per- 

 formance of each animal is recorded in Wallace's Year 

 Book; also by the recent advancement made in breeding 

 dairy cattle, where an accurate record of the amount of 

 milk and butter fat produced by each cow is made in the 

 Advanced Registry. 



The difficulty in keeping a record of performance 

 among horses, other than the trotters and pacers, comes 

 in knowing what characteristics to record ; but it is hoped 

 in the near future some characteristics, which will prove 

 of merit, may be decided upon and an accurate record 

 made of them, as such would be of great value in selecting 

 breeding stock and in mating. 



The light breeds. — The several breeds of horses, as we 

 find them, have been developed along certain definite lines 

 to meet given conditions. Thus, we have the various 

 light breeds developed to perform rather light, but very 

 fast work ; the coach breeds for stylish action and heavy 

 coach work; the draft breeds to perform heavy draft 

 work, and the like. The light breeds were developed 

 under conditions fundamentally different from those that 

 resulted in the heavy phlegmatic drafter. 



Each of the light breeds of horses owes its improve- 

 ment, in part at least, to horses from the East, particu- 

 larly Arabia, Turkey, Persia and the Sahara region. Con- 

 ditions in these countries are such as to develop rather 

 light horses of quality and endurance. Arabia, especially, 

 is noted for the quality of her horses, as the rather dry, 

 barren' soil makes it necessary for the animals to graze 

 over large areas to get sufficient nutrients. Thus a 

 natural selection is continually at work and only those 

 anirnals of quality and endurance survive. Further, it is 

 stated, that the forage, though scant, stimulates the de- 

 velopment of dense firm bone. It would seem, therefore, 

 thait high lands, possessing a rather dry climate and pro- 



