HORSE-BREEDING STUDIES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 8

HORSE-BREEDING STUDIES.

QUALITY BEFORE SIZE,

Mr..Frank H. Stericker, 'lecturing.to tlio members of the Sheriff Huttou Agricultural. Club, England, on horse breeding, said that as a rekult of the efforts of the Shire Horse Society they had preserved size and substance. In all horse .breeding, ■ and : especially iVhere draught horses were .concerned,. great, attention. should' bo paid'"to" legs,, feet, and pasterns... ,A short-legged , animal was; to be preferred, as it : was much easier to.get the. required ..perfection in' a smaller animal. For ordinary 'farmer's the thick, short-legged animal from 16 hands to 16 hands 3 inches would do more work on-the land, take less food, and ivas not liable to unsoundness'as the larger arid' moro weighty horses.' While the Clydesdales were active, they had a tendency bone,- and weight, and breeders had paid' so rinicli attention to feet and pasterns .that they had allowed them to get too small. 3lr. Stericker. considered tlio Cleve-, land Bay maro tho best foundation for all light horse breeding, while'the Yorkshire coach horse had no superior for carriage work. Hackney . breeders should. pay more attention while developing quality to retain size and* colour. 'This kind'of animal with plenty of substance was not numerous. Tlio trade for utility horses .was a fair oho at present, and was likely to continue. Unfortunately, size and bono had been sacrificed,to .-action.-. As.regards hunt--crsj lie thought the first cross Was the best for- the production .of weightcarriers, and a certain amount of blood breeding was essential for staying power. .Maiiy breeders aimed'at too milch blood, and lost both size and substance.' Heferring to tho remount question, Mr. Sterickbr. suggested that, the Government should establish centres to which horses .'might bo, brought and lidden. ..