Horse-Breeding

Southland Times, Issue 11750, 1 June 1891, Page 4

Horse-Breeding

# Mr. Frederick Btreet. of eomenham Park, Stive*, Hants, recently read an exhaustive paper on this subject, from which we take the folio* iog extracts: — I think, as a rale, the advantage of having good dams has been vattly underrated. Never was theie such a demand for good mares and fillies as at the present time. It is costly to pnrchMe a whole team of pedigree mares or fillies, but would it not be advantageous to those not possessing them to purchase one or two of the best to be had J They would do the work of the farm up to the time of foa'ing. aod after the foal is weaned, the mare wot Id again return to werk. There would ba a good demand for the col's if good enough for stallion*, or to betild as gelding?, when four or five years old. In the course of a few years, by adopting this plan, a team of pedigree animals wo ald be formed which would pay no mean interest for the outlay. If mares, when in f oa , are used in the shaft* great care shonld be taken not to allow them to be backed when in the waggon or cart.

Let ne ttirt with a mare in foal, lay, at Michaelmas. It will be better for the mare to be turned into a cool yard at night during toe winter months than to be kept in a warm stable. A liberal diet of oats, brao, and hay it Decenary; by do meant give them mangel*, it makes them iboot the coat too early in the following spring. If mares foal in early spring, or later period, I hold it to be essential for the well-being cf the offspring (hat the mare thould be turned on to pasture for at least three weeks before foaling, to get used to tie change from dry food. Foals will stand what exposure the dam has been accustomed to How often do's ore hear of the lon of foals from cold, inflammation, and diarrhoea, through mare* being tamed 01 ton to succulent pas'ure for tke first time after foaling? Marei kept for breeding purposes only, not being required to work, are better if given dry food on pasture daring winter. For a time after foaling, maret should have oats given them morning and evening, then grata alone will b* sufficient, i like foalp, when a month or fUe weeks old to be shut, away from their dam" for an bonr or two each day, to be taught to eat dry food, tuch at bran and gritt-d oai*. Before weaoicg, the foals can be sept rated from the mare longer at a time; and when taken away entirely, will not lose flesh to the same extent as is often the cate when they are suddenly taken from tb»ir moth rs and weaned. I strongly recomnuad, where practicable, the advisability of young animals being raised on pasture instead of in loose boxes or warm yards. I <*o not. however, wish to be misunderstood, and be supposed to advocate tttif in all cases, as in the case of backward and delka/e foals, or after having iofiuevza or other di«eases. The advantage of having hedges for shelter, or suitable climate, will repulate this. It is well to have an open hovel, with a manger at the back for the dry food; but let toy one go out at night, even if snow is on the ground, and in 90 cases oat of a 100 they will be found in the open, Further, those foals or yearlings that have been oat all winter will go on and thrive when the grast grows in the epring, whereas those that have been kept in warm yards, acd are tarred oat with tle»k coats will go back in condition, and arc much more liable to take cold. I bave never known a cue of injury from eating frosted g'asr. Foals ieqnire good and suitable dry food during the winter months. At do other period of life willthey so well repay the outlay. Hiee will n«ver afterwards be obtained, unless the foala are well grown when young. By thit treatment the growth of bone mnscle, end hair will be encouraged, the constitution strengthened, and the elasticity of action retained, while the danger of getting over on their joints orflyingat the hooks is reduced toa minimum. During the summer months dry food can be omitted, grass alone being sufficient. It will be advantageous to supplement grass by giving dry food during the second or any succeeding winter. Home may remark that this pUn may be all very well for ordinary purpoiri but will it answer for tbo*e animals intended for exhibition purposes ? I will remark at the first show in London the practice was to bring year!, ings into the riDg at if they bad come out of a band. box, but the aim for the last few years has been to retain the winter coat. Judges do not favour an accumulation of f*t in such youny animals, bat require bone and muscle with activity. The question may he asked, does it pay to breed horges ? Soil and climate have much to do with the successful raiting of young horses, and the soil that is adapted for the breeding of me descrp ion of horse might be quite unsuitable for another brerd. If this Jiotfls borne in mind, aad animals ara #MtM;y lelepttd aqd properly managed, ep

description of live stock will pay better, I have known a number of geotlemen who have given rxtravagant prices for animal*, and never had a good on', but all the time thought tkeir own cpinioa riekt, and could not nnderstand jadget vot recognising their exhibits. Others h»ve bought good animal*, and have had no one about them who understood either the breeding, rearing .or } management of a etud; hence, after disappointment and disgust the whole tn ng has been given np at a failure.