DRAUGHT HORSES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1386, 12 March 1912, Page 8

DRAUGHT HORSES.

IS STANDARD DETERIORATING? Despite the bad reports of the horse market in Melbourne, recently brought back by shippers of horse?, buyers, are continuing to operate in Southland for exportation, says the "Sews." It is stated that Melbourne buyers are writing, lo (leakiis in Southland statin,? that they expect the demand to- be good. Tho reports circulated by the dealers have no doubt been done with an object (says the "Xeivs"), and owners of good 'colts and fillirs should not bo caught with that sort of chall'. 'An immense amount of harm to the market Ins been done by the shipping of poor quality stuff, mostly from the north, and with these shippers breeders should ' have littlo sympathy and take, their (ales of poor prices with suspicion. A draught horso dealer who knows almost all tho farms in tho Western district, where tho best mares arc used for breeding purposes, stated the other day that ho has not seen any young draught stock this season as good as last year's foals, and for the first time in many years there is notliinu that stands out 'by itself as a likely champion cult or mare. This he attributes to.the continual shipping of good mares to Australia during tho past fivo or six years and tho using of the light typo of imported stallions. It was not so'noticeable in tho progeny at first, -when only heavy mares were about, but now that, the second and third generation of the lighter-boned draught mares are being bred from the result is r disastrous one for the standard of bouthland mare?. A few seasons ago good heavy mares could bo found: but nowadavs nearly all of tho marcs in Soujhlaud cont.iin cither me rr two strains of the lighter-boned imported stallions. It will bo some years before tho old type can be regained, i-nd in (ho meantime wo must rest content with the knowledge that our general stamhrd is very much lower linn th.it of a few years ago.