4 
THE PERCHERON REVIEW 
of drafters are not particular regarding the mode of exit 
taken by small and unsound horses. 
The man who owns and works horses under 1,100 pounds 
is standing in the way of his own financial betterment. If 
he cannot dispose of them and buy mares that are at least in 
excess of 1,200 pounds, his only chance is to breed some better 
ones. Doing this from a foundation of small mares is slow. 
The process may be hastened by breeding to a very prepotent, 
heavy boned, Percheron stallion that is 16-2 to 17 hands in 
height, with weight in excess of 1,900 pounds when in breed- 
ing condition. The half bloods from such a horse will, if 
well nourished during the growing period, mature at weights 
of 1,400 or better. Small mares carrying some Percheron 
blood have produced progeny from such crosses that closely 
approximated real draft size and character. More rapid 
progress, however, financially and otherwise, will be made 
by selling very small horses at any price they will bring, and 
then buying good grade, or pure bred, draft mares. 
Some farmers are fearful of the tractor. What effect 
will it have on the need for heavy horses on our farms ? Will 
it eliminate or materially reduce the number of horses in 
farm use? Developments to date indicate that tractors 
may supplement, but not displace, heavy draft horses. In 
fall plowing, when horses are needed in the harvest field, 
the tractor can be used to advantage; and where there is 
enough need for belt power to make the tractor pay interest 
and depreciation charges for the balance of the year it may 
be well to buy one. The fact remains, however, that the 
horse is a self repairing, self reproducing motive power, and 
the tractor is not. The horse utilizes roughage, such as corn 
fodder, straw and pasturage, produced on the farm, as a 
considerable share of his fuel, and all fuel for the tractor 
must be bought. Aside from this, naval and military needs 
promise to drive internal combustion oils to prices ranging 
from 90 cents to $1.25 per gallon, with most stringent regu- 
lations regarding its use. Horses can be produced where 
needed. Tractors require much steel, coal, and labor in their 
production, and tax our transportation systems heavily, both 
in the shipment of raw material and the finished engines, 
supplies therefor, and repair parts. 
There are thousands of men who can use tractors to 
advantage on farms, but the majority cannot, and the com- 
ment of a widely traveled and shrewd observer still holds 
true — "that the tractor will not pay generally until the 
farmer can raise his own repairs, gas, and oil." Bankers 
with long experience in the Northwest are unanimously of 
the opinion that the man who farms with big draft horses, 
especially mares, is a good risk, while the tractor farmer is 
not: and these men come as near to knowing the financial 
side of the situation as anyone. The exceptional farmer can 
use tractors advantageously to supplement horse power, but 
the vast majority cannot. 
In conclusion, we can only say from facts now available 
that the breeding of small horses, under 1,200 pounds, should 
be entirely stopped, save for such special types as race horses 
and saddle horses. Mares between 1,200 to 1,500 pounds 
should be bred to the best available draft stallions, with a 
view to increasing the size of their descendants to 1,600 
pounds and over as soon as practicable, and all mares over 
1 ,500 pounds should be bred to selected draft stallions to 
make sure that the resulting progeny is as perfect as possible 
and to reduce the proportion of heavy horses which, because 
of faulty conformation or unsoundness, are not as efficient 
in work as their size and weight warrants. Subsidies given 
to especially perfect draft stallions which have demonstrated 
themselves to be good stock sires will hasten the improvement 
of our draft horses greatly, and there is every reason in favor 
of such a policy. Funds already accruing from stallion 
licenses should by all means be used, and additional appro- 
priations might well be made for this purpose. 
Aside from our own farm and city needs, foreign coun- 
tries will unquestionably be heavy buyers of draft horses in 
American markets after the war. Foreign Governments are 
already seeking to obtain an increased number of horses over 
1,500 pounds for transport work, with the idea that those 
which are left can be used on farms at the close of hostilities, 
and they are especially desirous of obtaining all the heavy 
mares they can secure. These are significant items to prac- 
tical horsemen. 
No hesitancy should be felt respecting the future of the 
draft horse industry. Every effort should be made to in- 
crease the breeding of all mares over 1,200 pounds to good 
draft sires, and special attention should be given to encourag- 
ing those farmers who, through lack of knowledge of all 
factors, are discouraged respecting the breeding of heavy 
draft horses. The man who persists in breeding good ones 
will reap a rich harvest. The quitter will pay a good price 
for work animals in the future, and regret that he failed to 
grasp the opportunity that lay within his reach. 
WAYNE DIN SHORE. 
Grade Percheron Geldings 
