KEVINS UP SIZE IN DRAUGHT HORSES.

New Zealand Mail, 27 August 1902, Page 53 (Supplement)

KEVINS UP SIZE IN DRAUGHT HORSES.

It is noted as a matter or much satisfaction to British draught stock breeders to think of the good that has resulted from judicious intermingling of the best of their breed with a view to getting a better quality of bone, pasterns with-more spring, and * hoofs of greater width and substance without decreasing the general size or weight. As a rule too much inbreeding tends to an over fineness in bone; at least it has been found so with cattle and sheep, (.-cits with three authentic crosses of breeding from ancestors of show ring renown and guaranteed soundness are now very common to what they were 25 years ago, and there are. it is slated, few corners of the Midland counties generally which do not hold meres and fillies that would do credit to their owners at Islington or the 'Royal.

In those districts where soils are thin adu pastiu eis scant, the "Live Stock Journal” remarks, no doubt breeders are handicapped to some extent when their holdings are compared with those in which the soil is rich, the climate mild, and the ground well sheltered. Still, if they act liberally with the young stock, and let the foal flesh become the colt muscle, they can always turn out brood stock or geldings of heavy weight from fairly sizable parents. The great difficulty to be encountered is a tendency to legginess when trying tc gain height. The blockv parts, in nine cases out cf ten, are the safest to work with, as an inch or two in width at both ends will more than compensate for a couple of inches at the withers if there is a lack of depth in the rib. A s a rule, the herring-gutted draught horse finds his way into the coal vans, as he does not cover enough ground to have full command ci himself on difficult pavements in waggon or lorry.

It is probable that the best of che modern shires bred horses obtained theii size originally from the horses of tile Fla maud district of Belgium. The war horses which carried men in armour had to bo big, even though nace and activity were sacrificed for sheer weight. Many Flemish horses, however, wore brought in from Holland with a view of crossing witn tne old English cart horses, and this even long before BakewelFs tiunit was Bakewell, however, who first made " f, 1 , , mark iu this direction, and his I’irr, “Ci-ses were well known between the Thames and the Forth. North of the tweed they latterly did not find so much favour, as they were too big for the average work of the farmer, and town traffic uul not developed, though there was a large carting business carried on between ula.-gow and Edinburgh, both before and alter the opening of the Forth and Clyde banal.

It is questionable if the original Flamand horses were anything like as bffi as rue largest of the present Engusn bleed of draughts. Bakewcli's biggest judging from old stallion travelling ;>ntices, does not appear to have been 1G Lands z mches—a good average height for any working-horse, whether for town or country. To keep to this average standard, however, we have sometimes to use a horse a little above it; at any rate, no one objects to the extra height. If a far“ler Jl » s , a nice, round-topped, shapely . le D / m hands, come of a stock which is rarely over the same height, lie should d -' a aeep Ins eyes open tor a good flatboned stallion 16 hands 2 inches or over, tic may get disappointed, hut the chances that he will m time work into a class i horses which will command all mar- - , otller ka nd, if he loses neat active little horses of the same height, V 3 pound to arrive at cobby vann'ers «ood of their kind, hut no use for the city aml tl Jt? t ° r ‘« c f ses weight, width a d strength of hone should be aimed at, quality, pasterns and hoofs having full consideration.

Horses well fed m youth will keep on wi n to the / r weight long after they .lli. noen entered to the heaviest toivii KPonV * i • 6 growth, is checked through ®wL , .J} 1 * or exposu-re, or both, they anrl W 1 k ave a, stunted appearance, hrinw^^-i am °unt of kindness and care wili in ” 4i ei - U to th ? lr normal size. KeepBio a, tJll ! S ,as well as mating in view, greaf horse breeder should give and t „l/ 1 ' SOna ! to his young stock, leave - IS t ?° frequently the case, leave everything to.attendants.