CLYDESDALE HORSES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2501, 30 June 1915, Page 10

CLYDESDALE HORSES

PROSPECTS OF BREEDERS

The annual meeting of th© New Zealand Clydesdale. Society' was held at Palmersiton North during show week. The result'of the election of officers has already" been published. During the meeting' an' interesting speech was delivered"by Mr. J; A. Johnstone, of Dunedin. Mr. Johnstone said that indispensable ' as pedigree.undoubtedly was, it was not everything; successful stock breeding • -was' really, a sqience, and only those who made a study ,of it and who had an intuitive love of the breed they ' specialised in could ever hope to achieve ■ either a reputation or a. fortune at the ihusiness. . "It is essential," he continued,- "for each breeder' to 'set for 'himself the task of finding out the best breeding strains, and not merely to be satisfied with mating his mares with sires whose main merit, perhaps, is that they have carried off prizes in a show, ring. We all know from experience that show-yard results are not _ always infallible indices ■of the merits of the animals exhibited, and consequently, because a horse has been awarded a first iprizc, that is no reason in itself why he should be selected for stud purposes. :.. . We look forward to the timo when, public opinion will so mark its 'disapproval of the appointment of fudges who. are manifestly . biased in their decisions that no agricultural societies will venture to reappoint them at subsequent shows. In ' this connection our society has a great work to perform. I think it is a function that belongs to us to form classes of instruction for the benefit .of the rising_ genei ation. I am sure the : dissatisfaction often expressed at the ring-side concernling the placing of animals by tho judges Ss frequently due to 'lack of knowledge of the distinguishing points and characteristics of the breed, as well as ignorance of the diseases and defects to which the' stock may be prone. For some .time past there has been talk of the founding of a Veterinary School in the Dominion, and it is only a .question of time when the idea will be brought !to fruition. A course at this school by .the stock-breeders of the future will 'iplace them in the position of understanding the problems of breeding and fudging such' as their forebears never I "Since -our last annual meeting events 'ihavffl transpired which will,alter' the .markets of the world in a way that nono ;of us can foresee, and I venture to jthink.that when this cruel war is over. ;>the changes which -'will eventually take ,place will be to the advantage of tho .(New Zealand farmers, and in a special 'degree the breeders of Clydesdale horses [will benefit. "The prolonged drought in Australia .has broken up. That drought has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of working draught horses. These will have to be replaced, and as the demand is certain to be great because of the losses and of the abnormally high prices for grain throughout the world, it is to New Zealand the Australians must look for supplies of draught horses. The breeding of Clydesdale horses is, I am confident, ono of the branches of agriculture that will repay-those who through bad times have persevered in breeding good stoclt.'*