188 
PURE BRED DRAFT HORSES 
“When spring comes our yearling stallions are placed in a pasture by 
themselves. They are fed grain three times a day and have good water 
always available. If the grass is not plentiful enough, we give hay or 
silage to supplement it. In other words, we give them plenty to eat and 
the freedom of the pasture for exercise. When winter comes again the 
yearlings are run in a 20-acre bluegrass pasture and fed sorghum, silage, 
hay and grain in a roomy barn where they go in and out at will. The next 
spring they are coming 2-year-olds. In March and April they are kept 
off the pasture and yarded about the barn. When grass is good in May 
they are turned on the pasture and grained three times daily. We had 
twelve 2-year-olds running together last season. They get exercise, sun¬ 
shine and shade as they want it, and they grow and grow . . . Last 
summer was dry and hot and the late pastures were bare, but we planted 
some sweet corn which ripened early enough to cut. With that and our 
silage the colts managed to squeeze through and those who see them seem 
to think they look very well. At one time our 2-year-olds and yearlings 
were running on sweet clover up to their knees, and liked it immensely. 
We sowed sweet clover in oats last spring and it looks like a success. 
“Our 2-year-olds have not been housed in a closed barn since the first 
winter, and then only at night. A variety of feeds is essential—oats, corn, 
bran, silage, timothy hay, sorghum, siweet clover, bluegrass, and alfalfa.” 
In the opinion of White, “The stallions and fillies should be separated 
when not more than 7 months old. This is before there is a possibility of 
any of the fillies coming in heat and causing the stallions to fret and 
worry. If a stallion is never allowed to get near enough to a mare in heat 
to smell her, he will run in a pasture with a number of others nearly as 
contented as the same number of geldings. These stallions should have 
abundance of range.” He goes on to say, “I prefer a field about twice as 
large as would be necessary to furnish them sufficient pasture, and I put 
in the pasture a like number of cattle. When running in large pasture 
the colts are able to take abundant exercise and will consume large 
amounts of oats and bran, of which they should be given all they will 
clean up nicely. 
“For pasture I prefer bluegrass on limestone land, with running water 
at hand. My colts run together in such a pasture until they are about 27 
months old. The flies then compel me to stable .them during the day. I 
find that when they are separated during the day they get more rough 
when turned together at night than when allowed to remain together all 
the time. 
“When it is not practicable for small breeders to make ample arrange¬ 
ments for raising their colts, I would advise selling the stallion foals at 
weaning time. I should like to see some man in every breeding commun¬ 
ity engaged solely in the purchase and development of these youngsters.” 
“The feeding and care of the foals after weaning,” according to De- 
Lancey, “is almost as important as the selection of the sire and dams. 
The foals should be weaned at 5 months old, having had oats for four 
months prior to weaning time. After weaning they should have the run 
of a grass paddock, when flies are not bad, and be fed liberally on grain. 
We have never been in favor of over-feeding either stallions or colts, but 
there is little danger in giving too much grain the first year. After that 
feed them liberally, but not all that they will eat. Many good colts have 
been ruined by over-feeding. It is advisable to let from two to six stal¬ 
lions run together until 2V 2 years old; then separate them. 
“It is next to impossible to overfeed a colt running on grass. The feed 
given them then will give best results, but when they are taken up greater 
care should be used in selection of feeds. And always give plenty of ex¬ 
ercise. The word exercise should be strong in the mind of every breeder 
of Percherons. Without it one grows a small-boned, soft-muscled, blem¬ 
ished colt.” 
