VOL. LIII. No. 2316. 
$1.00 PER YEAR. 
NEW YORK, JUNE 16 1894. 
BREEDING LITTLE HORSES. 
ASIKKICAN HOME OF THE SIIETLANDS. 
Ponies That Pay Better Than Percherons. 
Some 39 years ago, Messrs Brodie, Hungerford and 
Converse formed a partnership for importing Short¬ 
horn and Ayrshire cattle and Leicester sheep. Later 
they added Shetland ponies to the list. The old firm 
has long since been dissolved, and the Short-horn cattle 
and Leicester sheep have been dropped, but Mr. J. F. 
Converse of Woodville, N. Y., still continues the breed¬ 
ing of Ayrshires and Shetlands with much success. 
The following facts were obtained during a recent in¬ 
terview with him: 
*• How many ponies have you ?” I asked. 
“ About 25.” 
“ What have been your average annual sales?” 
“For the last 10 years about 10 head. I began a 
few years since, the breeding of half-bloods, 1. e., 
crossing our thoroughbred Shetland stallions on small 
my stud. There is more money in ponies at the present 
time and prices, than in large horses, and the demand 
for fine ponies from the cities is constantly increas¬ 
ing. With an increased demand, there is an increased 
price.” 
“ How about the cost of keeping them ? ” 
“ It is about the same as the cost of a large sheep ; 
no more. They require care, however, in winter, and 
must not be allowed to become too fat, which they 
will do very easily if given a chance. If they become 
too fat they will not breed ” 
“ What is their average weight ? ” 
“At maturity, which is at the age of three or four 
years, they weigh from 300 to 400 pounds. Some of 
their colts, when foaled, have not weighed more than 
25 pounds each.” 
“ Are they safe ? ” 
“ Perfectly ; being born gentle they are always safe 
for women or children to drive or ride. They are 
easily broken, either for the saddle or as drivers.” 
Other Horses on the Farm. 
“What other breeds of horses do you keep?” I 
asked. 
“ A few years since I engaged in the breeding of 
Percherons, but the farmers, as a rule, wanted some¬ 
thing faster and less blocky, so I bought the imported 
French Coach stallion Fuyard. He was foaled in May, 
1883, and imported in 1887. He stands 16^ hands, 
and is one of the finest specimens of his blood ever 
imported. He is not so fast as are some of his class, 
but he is fast enough for farm or road purposes. A 
number of his colts—grades—have sold for $100 each 
at the age of four months. I have no full-blood mares; 
all are grades.” 
“ How was the market for Ayrshires last season ?” 
“ Never better ; sold more bulls and heifers than 
during any one season before, since I went into the 
business ; but I do not expect to make as many sales 
this season. I shall make the usual exhibits of Ayr¬ 
shires and ponies at the fairs this fall, making the 
A GROUP OF SHETLAND PONIES AS BRED AT RIVERSIDE FARM. Fig. 101. 
native mares of high grade. The result has been 
large sales of that class of ponies, and a reduction 
somewhat of thoroughbreds. The cross is a good one, 
the progeny being more useful on the farms than are 
the purebred ponies. Nearly all the purebred ponies 
go to the cities.” 
“ At what age do you sell the ponies ? ” 
“ As a rule at two years, either for the saddle or for 
drivers.” 
“ What are the average prices obtained for matured 
ponies ? ” 
“From $100 to $200 each for purebred, stylish 
ponies. The sales last year were better than in any 
previous season since I engaged in the business ; show¬ 
ing that the hard times did not affect trade in that 
direction. I never before had so many customers, nor 
obtained so good prices.” 
Business Prospects Good. 
“ Do you think of abandoning the business ? ” 
“Oh, no 1 On the contrary, I think I wUl enlarge 
“ What is their value as drivers for the road ?” 
“ They are first-class in that respect. A good pair 
of them will make it interesting for a pair of large 
horses in an all day’s drive. A year or two since, a 
pair was hitched to a pony phaeton here and driven in 
one day to Syracuse, 60 miles. Next day they were 
shown at the State Fair there, and driven home the 
following day. Their endurance is simply wonderful, 
and one unacquainted with them can hardly be made 
to believe the claims made for them.” 
“ Do you sell many ponies to breeders ? ” 
“ Yes, and the number is increasing, as breeders are 
finding that there is a growing demand for them in 
the cities and large towns. In some sections, they are 
being bought for the use of children who have to drive 
a distance to school. There are two or three pairs in 
this village, used for that purpose, the children being 
students at an academy three miles from here. A 
pair of ponies hitched to a phaeton will take a load of 
half a dozen children from there to the academy in 
half an hour when the roads are at all good.” 
complete circuit, and expect to win, as I always have, 
the lion’s share of prizes. So far as I know, the herd 
of 90 registered animals is free from tuberculosis and 
perfectly healthy, and I expect to keep it so.” 
“ Are you breeding any sheep ? ” 
“ No. At present I have no sheep, nor do I make it 
a business of breeding swine, except for farm pur¬ 
poses.” c. w. .7. 
R. N.-Y.—The picture on this page shows a group 
of the ponies as bred by Mr. Converse, with other very 
promising young stock that go well with the Shet¬ 
lands. We have often called attention to the profit 
in breeding Shetlands. In these days, good dwarfs 
will pay better than anything short of giants. It was 
thought at one time that the introduction of the 
broncho ponies from the Western plains had destroyed 
the demand for Shetlands, but this does not seem to be 
true. Notice how the blood of the Shetland improves 
the stock from little mares ? Breed such mares to a big 
stallion, and the colts would not be salable. Breed 
them to a Shetland, and there is a demand for the colts. 
