Better Horses
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BETTER HORSES Industry Can be Rapidly Built Up in the United States by Elimination of the Inferior Stallion—Need of Horses in the War—Allies Have Taken Many, but Not the Best N SPITE of the fact that most of the this nation today than ever before. cavalry troops in the world's armies The spavined, stringhalt, and ring- I have been dismounted and their boned horse is more than ever an unde- dashing squadrons replaced by " tanks"; sirable member of the industrial forces, in spite of the fact that autos, tractors, but the horse of good conformation and and many other mechanical contri- quality will steadily be in such demand vances have been devised to replace the that every sound animal will have a defi- horse; nevertheless, the breeding of nite part to play both in war and in peace. sound horses is of more importance to It is at such a time that the horse A GRADE "TROTTING" STALLION This animal was used from time to time for service in Wisconsin under the law prevailing there which permits the licensing of grade stallions for public service. So unsound and enfeebled that it would appear he would have difficulty in walking, it is hard to understand why he should be placed among the trotters. Popular choice, however, has demanded stallions of this breed and it is probably because of this popularity that the above veteran, who was palmed off on a new owner frequently, was included in this category, although to the experienced eye he presents many points in which he does not "favor ' his supposed ancestry. Photograph from A. S. Alexander. (Fig. 14.) 512 HIS CHEAP FEE ATTRACTED MANY Although mongrel-bred, unsound and with apparently no points to corrmend him to the pro- spective breeder, this horse en;oyed an ejtensive patronaf e, due to his cheap fee, although pure-bred stallions were rraintained in his district and were equally accessible. It is reported that he has been retired from service. 1 he present crisis demands that every similar unsound animal be likewise replaced by sound stock for breeding purposes. Photograph from A. S. Alexander. (Fig. 15.) breeders of the country have an oppor- 000, about 4.0% of the available horses tunity to contribute to the welfare of have been purchased and about 6.0% of the country. Animals must be pro- the available mules. duced for much of the work on the battlefields, since horses can make head- ALLIES DID NOT GET THE BEST way over shell holes where an auto It has often been stated that the truck is unable to go; and the availa- Allies have stripped the American mar- bility of the economic resources of the ket of all superior horses, so that few are nation will be dependent to a large left except those physically unfit for war degree on the accessibility of sufficient work. Such is not the case. Data draft animals. compiled by the Bureau of Animal During the past three years, the Allies Industry, U. S. Department of Agri- have not only utilized their own equine culture, indicate that the Allies have resources but have also made heavy purchased only average horses from the drafts on American stock. Up to May sound stock of the country and that 1, 1917, the entente had imported from facilities for breeding good stock are just this country 1,107,152 horses and mules, as available as ever. There is certainly at prices ranging from $100 to $250, enough good stock in the country which Since the number of horses in the is accessible to the breeder for producing United States is approximately 24,100,- the essential animals for use during the 513 AN OBJECTIONABLE AND UNSOUND STALLION The spots and undesirable conformation of the hind leg are the two most noticeable features of this stallion, who was supposed by the miraculous virtue of a tincture of pure blood some- where in his ancestry to be able to stamp his offspring with the desirable traits of the breed with which he was supposed to be connected. As shown by the following two pictures, he proved to be as prepotent as the most optimistic had hoped, but not in quite the manner they had anticipated. Photograph from Bureau of Animal Industry. (Fig. 16.) wax and during the vast economic recon- ther investigation that the license laws struction which will follow, but there have played an important part in are also far too many unsound and mon- eliminating scrub sires. grel animals which will be a drag on the In Europe, almost ideal breeding laws industry as long as they are used for have prevailed for a long time. The breeding. These ill-bred animals should French Government has for over a be eliminated. The most important hundred years maintained stables of, measure in this connection is to elimi- selected pure-bred stallions, and the nate inferior stallions, since one stallion owners of superior horses receive a may transmit faults to the offspring of bonus for keeping them in the country hundreds of mares. for service. In Belgium, the govern- The work of stallion licensing was ment used to spend large sums of money first taken up in Wisconsin, where the annually in prizes and appropriations method of operation can be advan- to encourage horse breeding along the tageously studied. Although it may not right lines. Similar conditions prevail seem at first sight that the mere act of in Germany, where prizes are offered for licensing stallions would form a panacea brood mares and stallions of unusual for all breeding troubles, and turn out worth. Austria, England, and Scot- the perfect horses which are so essential land all have similar methods of encour- in the scheme of war preparedness, aging prudent breeding and the results nevertheless, it will be found upon fur- are self-evidently well worth the time 514 WHAT THE SPOTTED STALLION PRODUCED This mare was sired by the stallion shown in the preceding figtire, and the curby conformation of the left hind leg is plainly noticeable. The piebald pattern itself, which is always trans- mitted by a stallion who possesses it to at least half his offspring, is no more conspicuous to a horseman than the inherited leg-conformation. Photograph from Bureau of Animal Industry. (Fig. 17.) and money which has been spent in The only way by which the horse achieving them. industry can be built up in this country The progeny of a grade stallion from along right lines is by grading. But a mongrel mare is usually inferior in this grading must be carried on by right every way. The main reason for this is methods, and should not include the that the grade horse has not the pre- use of grade stallions. It is ob- potency to stamp the characteristics of viously impossible to depend wholly on the pure breed upon his offspring. One pure-bred stock, because only a small infusion of pure blood may be sufficient percentage of the animals in this country to make the first generation resemble are pure-bred. This is especially true markedly a given breed, but in the of brood mares, which, producing only second generation, and often in the . one foal a year, would have to be first, there is an overwhelming ten- available in enormous numbers in order dency for the large mass of mongrel to obviate the necessity of using mon- ancestry to crop out, and hence the off- grel or grade mares. Hence, it is easily spring may in no way resemble the evident that the grading system offers breed which it is supposed to represent. the only solution of the problem of When a pure-bred stallion is used, he is building up the breed on the maternal generally prepotent enough to stamp side. his offspring with the desired qualities, But on the paternal side the case is but the offspring when again bred with quite different. Since one stallion can mongrel stock is rarely prepotent enough serve successfully a hundred or more again to bring forth the desirable traits. mares in one season, a comparatively 515 ANOTHER MARE FROM THE SAME STALLION This mare might rossibly be placed in the much-abused "general purpose" class, but she inherits the crooked hind legs of her sire, together with many of his other defects, and hence is of little real value. Photograph from Bureau of Animal Industry. (Fig. 18.) small number of pure-bred stallions will report on its success can be made. suffice to carry on the grading-up pro- Horses will be needed on the battle- cess satisfactorily. Th2 u?e of £;raie field and on the farm; to haul the can- mares because of the non-availability of non aad the plow. Good horses which pure-breds is hence logical and satis- can staid up under the demands of the factory in the grading system, but the economic crisis of the country can be use of other than pure-bred stallions is produced just as cheaply as unfit ani- inexcusable. mals with ewe necks, waspy waists, cat In work which was started some time hams and starey coats. The cheap ago by the Bureau of Animal Industry, servics fee will be lost in insignificance pure-bred stallions of unusual worth compared with the relative prices which were stationed in various districts, and will be paid for sound and unfit service was furnished to owners of mares for horses; In the great agricul- gratis. In return for the free service, tural preparedness of the country, the the government obtained an option on breeder of sound and fit horses has just the colt during its third year at a price as responsible a position as any "soldier of $150, or if the farmer wished to dis- the commissary." It is his duty to ful- pose of it elsewhere, he could be released fil that responsibility by turning out from his contract by paying $25 as a through prudent breeding and by service fee.