CHAPTER V 

 THE BREEDING OF HORSES AND MULES 



While we have no data available in the United States on the 

 number of horses and mules consumed, or used up in a year, 

 yet a very conservative estimate would be approximately two 

 million, this to include export animals as well as those consumed 

 at home. These horses must be replaced as consumed, or there 

 will be a horse famine. There are approximately ten million 

 mares in the United States, of which we will assume one-half, 

 or five million, are of breeding age. If we are to raise these 

 two million colts, both horse and mule, it means that at least 

 one-half, or 50 per cent, of these mares should be bred each 

 year. 



It must be remembered that the horses that supply this 

 demand are produced on the farms. Their production is the 

 work of the general farmer, who is primarily a grain raiser, a 

 dairyman, or whose main business is general farming, and who 

 raises horses because he is so situated as to be able to propa- 

 gate them with but little inconvenience to his main work. 

 Such farms usually possess three advantages: they grow large 

 amounts of cheap food ; they contain abundant range for the 

 proper exercise of growing animals; and there is considerable 

 team work to be done. On such farms horses can be grown 

 with little extra labor and at a good profit. 



PLAN OF BREEDING 



A clearly defined plan of procedure should be thought out 

 before the farmer makes the attempt to breed horses. To do 



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