266 INEANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HOESES 



will always be an overproduction of common horses, 

 which will be the first to be affected by oversupply and 

 business depressions and the last to be revived. 



Co-operative horse breeding. — This system has been 

 extensively introduced into some of the states and most 

 excellent results are reported. A number of farmers 

 possessing the same type or breed of mares band to- 

 gether and form a horse-breeding association. This as- 

 sociation provides a suitable stallion, advertises stock, 

 holds sales and often makes exhibits at the local and 

 state fairs. Meetings are held for the discussion of 

 horse-breeding matters and in this way each member re- 

 ceives the benefit of the others' experience. This serves 

 to promote uniformity, to improve the quality and to im- 

 prove the standard of the horses raised in the locality. 



"Company plan." — Often a salesman representing an 

 importing firm enters a locality and forms a "company" 

 in order that he may sell a horse. This company con- 

 sists of a varying number of men, each paying a pro- 

 portionate amount. The company thus formed usually 

 pays a high price for the horse, as the price must cover 

 many expenses. Further, the stallion thus thrust upon 

 the community is seldom of the proper type to mate 

 with the local mares. Often a good start is made in the 

 grading up with a certain breed, as. the Perchera^ when 

 a company is formed for the purchase of a stalliOn of an- 

 other breed. Such a stallion is a detriment to the com- 

 munity, although he wovild have been valuable if of the 

 same breed as the mares in the locality. The company 

 plan of purchasing stallions, therefore, is objectionable, 

 not alone because of the high price, but because they are 

 often unsuited to mate with the mares of the locality. 



Selection of animals for breeding. — The general prin- 

 ciples of heredity and variation must be kept in mind in 

 choosing breeding stock. This applies to the mare as 

 well as to the stallion. When the colts are not up to 

 standard there is a tendency to criticize the stallion, 



