Breding Draught Horses

Manawatu Standard, Issue 7403, 19 September 1902, Page 3

Breding Draught Horses

According io recent market quotations at Fcllding, there is still some importance io be attached to this >ranch of the farming industry, v/hei it Mfswrs Hocken Bros, sale a 3 year oM filly by Olungilc, a half '>re-d shire, btought £72, and other •,'ounpstors by that well-known sire tourlil from £1S to £50. This boars out the important testimony to the value of the Shin: aorsc, which will Le found in a report issued some few years ago by the Canadian Government. It includes n portion of a letter from Mr R. S. Reynolds, VI.R.C.VnS., Veterinary Inspector to the Corporation of Liverpool, and a well-known judge ot and writer on draught horses. Mr Keynold.s, after writing fully on draught horses gen«iiiliy, concludes his remarks as follows:—"My judgment is certainly in favour of the Shire, as the one best calculated to procreate a. breed suited for draught purpose. •He assigns as his reason the fact that the sive and hone of the average Shire .ire superior to those of any other description of horse, and 'further there is presumptive evidence that the increased frame and. bone of the other draught breeds is due to the infusion of Shire horse blood." To maintain the standard of excellece which is only attained at much cost and care, it is essential that only the best types should, he used for breeding ; such as are truly framed, are free from all imperfeciions, and above all free from hereditary unsoundness. The longer a type has been fixed the greater the certainty that the law of " like begets like " will be justified ; and to secure the best results it is of the first importance that we should study the pedigree of the animals from which we propose to breed. Wo have now many horses whose pedigrees are traced in the first volume of the. Shire Horse Stud Book, for at least a century and a half back to a date which is within a lifetime of the hist days

jf armoured knights carried by the 'Ireat Horse (Shire Horse), it is this long litic of descent which guarxntees the continued transmition of valuable qualities.