CARRIAGE HORSES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2462, 24 June 1893, Page 2

CARRIAGE HORSES.

To the Editor of the Star. Sib, — It is a matter of surprise to ma that in a borßs-breeding centre as this district more attention is not devoted to breeding upstanding oairiage horses. From what I can see and hear tbe energies of horse breeders is devoted more to the saddle class. We know that many good light horses have been bred in Taranaki, but the good ones were for tbe most part racers, and this olass is hardly in keeping with a country diatriofc wbera general purpose horses are requjred t Though we have bad and still have thoroughbred stallions in this distritt second to few in the colony I say it if open to grave doubt whether they wholly fulfil the wants of a farming community. Now that pack traoks are superseded by good roads, sledges have to give way to wheels, and this in turn causes a demand for harness horses, bat are there many really good animals of tbis cUss in tbe district? If breeders bestowed half the attention they do in breeding racers to carriage horses a marked difference would soon be seen in the appearance of animals attached co vehicles. How is the reform to bebionght forward? Easily. If a trot* iing club were formed it would satisfactorily solve the difficulty. Look at Canterbury, for example. Had it not been for trotting olabs their carriage horses would never have achieved tbe high standard they have, and tbe improvement still oontioaei to grow. A bad horse eats^ jast as much as a good one, so why breed inferior ? Ii it not better to breed a horse suitable for general purposes than brutes that are neither racers nor backs ? If a trotting olab were formed in this district it would be the means of instituting a reform where one is wanted. It is quite evident that racing clubs are not filling the bill as far as improving harness horses is oonoerned. If they were, trotting clubs would never have obtained the bold they have in tbe South Island. There tbe clubs are looked upon as valnable conoerns for bettering and promoting tbe breed of useful animals. To improve harness horses trotting mast be fostered, and standard- bred horses mail be encouraged if breeders wish to gain a reputation for tbe district for good carriage horses. — I am, &c, Meuoha. Manutahi, Jane 22nd.