BREEDING HORSES FOR FARM AND MARKET 3O5 



disappointment, as anything in the horse line, except a 

 useful animal, is likely to result from such crossing of 

 types. It is this kind of breeding that results in animals 

 with draft-horse bodies and trotting-horse legs, with big 

 forequarters and small hindquarters, with big heads and 

 little bodies, and with all sorts of irregular combinations. 

 This method of breeding cannot be too strongly con- 

 demned, as it is a menace to the horse-breeding industry. 



The draft horse for heavy work. — On grain farms, hay 

 farms, stock farms, and the like, where there is much 

 heavy work, such as plowing, dragging, harvesting and 

 hauling, the draft horse is by far the most efficient. On 

 such farms the draft horse finds his true home, and as 

 there is work but a part of the year, the animals may be 

 bred and raise a colt without serious inconvenience. 

 The work is not so severe as to preclude the use of breed- 

 ing mares. In fact, it is too expensive to keep geldings 

 simply for the work they can do during the busy season. 

 On farms of considerable size where three or more teams 

 are kept one may be of the light type to take care of the 

 light work and do the family driving. 



The light horse for light work. — On dairy farms, small 

 truck and fruit farms, where there is a minimum amount 

 of heavy work, and where the necessity of reaching the 

 market demands light active horses, the light horse is 

 most efHcient. On such farms of considerable size where 

 it is necessary to keep several teams, one should be of 

 the draft type to take care of the heavy work, since as 

 these farms increase in size there is much heavy work to 

 be done. Perhaps there will not be the same opportunity 

 to breed these animals as on grain, hay and stock farms, 

 but it makes a clear distinction as to the type of horse 

 likely to prove the most efficient. 



The one-team farm. — The same principle applies to the 

 small farm as that suggested for the larger farm. If the 

 major part of the work is heavy, the draft horse will prove 

 the most efficient ; while if the larger part of the work is 



