SOUNDNESS IN STALLIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 495, 30 April 1909, Page 8

SOUNDNESS IN STALLIONS.

'-j^kK^^^ y. ; ; Sir,—Havirigrread 'withskeon:; interest, in : this'.'■and .other>papers:'discussions which'have takehi place.: upon -the'above 7 ,topic;: larrfoul ds'ay.'V'dt .'■thb.voutset'.that :.horee-bfeeding: in this'couritiy'is: at proba'bly more;-so than :inVany 'other country' that. I know "of. - •'. - In ■ England : the', rule of breeding; goesr-"Horses.;cattle; sheep." In this'country/i'it ■}'&.. quite, thorpverse.;/But',, return- ■ ing': to .the above, subject.'.iV,is.qiiito inipossiblo to make any advancement in' any,kind of breeding without a fixed .purpose or rules, • and-it'is; quite evident /up to ■.the', present time that/horse-breeding Jias'taken:the form 'of quantity "instead of:. quality -in this Dominion: }. There haye :been..from time .to .time proposalsimatle.to'.petition.:the Government 'to''adopt somo-measures.thatvwould'prohibit all'unsound,stallions :travellihg the/jdistrictsi, 'thu's-'increaaing- ;tho'i.opportunities ; which 'wbuldi otherwise'bo afforded to: jthose: of ..a. better'' class'.;. But as^theso,proposals,have ibeen madei'to.tho Goverhmenti:and r they ; fail to .'see'the...necessity of at..prcsont,dealing with such'a'mattor,"would it,not be;mpre to the: credit,jof, farmers :■ : and• bf oeders':themselves if, iri' : any district,,'a:,few; in: the' breeding of sound stock would determine that:'-they^,will use, nothing but what can .show' a certificate- -of ? • I, mean such : districts as • Wairarapa, as VI: havo : noticed,'letters appearing ;in:this,paper from -that bearing, vipon tho above subject.- : After all:, is dono. ahd'-said, 'horsebreeding 1 ;is, and .ought !to bo,' ; the 'enterprise of farmers, and not the Government. Tliore'fore'r iriy.. contentions are 'these :( That::.if,. a forward movement was made: iii, such . a dis- : trict -as: that named* -and a.few: breeders got a. draught stallion; into the district certified sound : and .'guaranteeing ,a : certain number of* mares, say,' about seventy, at .a, fee six guineas, it '. would : hot'jbo L lohg tofdr'a-'..other districts'- 'would' adopt the' same'lnethod. It was; in this wise that'tho ShiroHHorse Society was 'first formed,;>and that' society' is now- acknowledged .to.; be tho largest; and best' breed, society in existence. ■Of it'-\I lmvo the honour',.- olhboing 1 a. lifo. member.-. : :' Some breeders ; iniglit say: ."How ! can-.wo'.igive a big fee at the present -price's horses : .ire bringuig?."r.' ; They. .do .hot. say what kind, of horsoa thoy ore that hriaß low.

prices. Very often they arc really what might bo termed "misfits";, and breeders know too well! tho meaning of that word, illy policy is that a good horso will always fetch a good price, and,'if yon breed at all, strivo to breed from thp best that will meet with a ready sale at a fair price. ; Knowing that horse-breeding, like moot other-things, is susceptible : to fluctuations in value, it is. always better to own a good, horso than a worthless ono, and, in case an Act of, Parliament should bo passed in favour of tho aboyo measure, some such system as the' ono suggested will hayo to-bo adopted, as it would*bo:absurd to expect the Government to supply ' tho Dominion with sound stallions. -.Neither' would I favour such an idea if it were possible. As I.havo pointed out,' it .is .an enterprise which should bo entirely in tho bands of breeders themselves. — I', am, etc., , ' •. -. • '-■ •'-■ . J- *"• '''