296 



MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



Texas,. Kansas and Oklahoma lead all other states, each 

 possessing more than 10,000 yearling mules in 1909, while 

 Iowa and Illinois, the two leading horse-producing states, 

 which numbered 158,679, and 138,447 yearling horses 

 respectively, possessed but 1,482 and 7,202 yearling mules 

 respectively, at the same time. Kentucky and Tennessee 

 stand high among the mule-producing states, and are 

 particularly noted for raising mules of style and quality. 



BREEDING JACKS AND JENNETS 



Since the jack is sire of the mule, it is necessary to con- 

 sider the breeding of jacks and jennets in any discussion 

 of mule breeding. While' we have no data as .ta.the ex- 

 tent of jack and jennet breeding in the United^ States, it 

 is very limited, as the thirteenth census rep'prts only 

 105,698 jacks and jennets. The leading mule" 'breeders 



rely largely upon im- 

 ported jacks, although 

 with the increasing 

 popularity of the mule 

 there is likely to be an 

 increase in the number 

 of jack-breeding farms. 

 Selecting breeding 

 stock. — In the choos- 

 ing of jacks and jen- 

 nets, equally as much 

 care should be exer- 

 cised as in the case of 

 breeding horses. The 

 same general principles 

 of breeding apply to 

 jacks and jennets as to stallions and mares. Lack 

 of numbers makes rigid selection impossible, but im- 

 provement is not possible unless superior animals are 

 m^-ted, 



Fig. 140. — Catalonian Jack 



