Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1884 — Draft Horses. [ARTICLE]

Draft Horses.

The following is a synopsis of a lengthy article which appeared in the Chicago Tribune, consisting of interviews of its reporters with the leading draft-horse dealers of America. It was headed as follows: “Breeding of Draft Horses—One of the Important Industries of the Day— Experience of Dealers who Handle 40,000 Horses Annually—Relative Merits of Percheron, Clydesdale and English Horses—Opinions of All Leading Dealers in New York and Chicago — They are unanimous in preferring the French Breeds over all Others, as they are more enduring, best dispositioned, stand the pavements best, and bring higher prices. ” The Tribune reporters were instructed to procure opinions as to the relative merits of the different breeds of draft horses being raised in this country and sold in their markets. The experience of dealers who sell perhaps 40,000 horses annually directly to those who buy them to wear out wa3 thus obtained. This information is of immense vlaue to those engaged in breeding horses. Mr. I. H. Dahlman, of New York City, said: “I handle between 9,000 and 10,000 horses annually. Of the draft horses I handle, the greater proportion—nearly all—are Norman-Per-cherons. These horses are docile, intelligent, easily broken, steady in harness, powerful and compactly built. They are short in the back, deep in the body and broad in the chest. They have the best feet of any horses in America. Ido not want it understood that all Norman horses have these good qualities. I have seen some imported that were as badly shaped horses as could be found. Long in the back, narrow-waisted and not worth their freight from France here. That class of horses is only imported by people who buy them to sell and not to breed.” In regard to the Clydesdale horses, Mr. Dahlman said: “I will give you no criticism. I buy very few of them. I prefer to pass their stable and say nothing about them. From what I have said the Tribune readers, I think, will understand what breed of horses I would recommend them to raise. * C. & H. Hayman, East 24th street, New York City, said: “We handle about 2,000 horses a year, principally draft horses of all kinds—French, Clydesdale, English, and Belgian. We handle more of the French than any of the others, because the people like them better and will give higher prices for them than for any other breed. They have more endurance and are the best dispositioned horses we have. They mature sooner and are ready for the* market younger than the other breeds. The Clydesdales are not so well shaped nor are their feet so good. We advise the farmers of the West to breed to the finest and best-bred Percherons to be found. ” The above opinions were the expressions of all the other dealers interviewed, with one or two exceptions. The object of all farmers who breed horses for use or for market, is to obtain animals that will mature the earliest and bring the most money. In order to accomplish this purpose with the greatest degree of certainty the use of the finest and best-bred Percheron Stallions is recommended and advised by nearly all the dealers. The finest specimens are recorded with their pedigrees in full in the Percheron Stud Book of France.