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FOR ILLINOIS FARMERS. In a communication printed below a gentleman of vast experience as an owner and breeder of thoroughbreds, makes suggestions that might well be seriously considered by the farmers of this rich state. It costs no more to keep a thoroughbred mare than a mare of the commonest type, while a colt or .filly from a thoroughbred mare may sell for more than a seasons crops from an average farm. In a dispersal sale, such as that of the Melbourne Stud this month, or in such sales as those soon .to take place at Lexington, such mares can readily be acquired with every prospect af their proving profitable investments. Chicago, 111., Oct. 29, 1903. Editor of Daily Racing Form: As I am aware that there are a few breeders of the thoroughbred horse in Illinois, and knowing that your valuable little paper has a wide circulation in other states, I hope you will grant me a small space in your paper that I can give my experience and advise to breeders as to how to treat their mares and how to raise the foals to bring the best results in the sale ring and on the turf. I have bred thoroughbred horses all my life almost for over forty years and only gave it up to come to Chicago to live with my son about three years ago, as I was alone in the world; and I must confess that, surrounded with all the luxuries and an elegant home, with every modern comfort here, I would rather be back on the old farm in Kentucky, where I could see the beautiful matrons grazing on the waving blue-grass and see the young racers as they run for dear life across the woods and meadows. , A great many people are imbued with the idea that to raise thoroughbreds successfully that the owner must have studied the science of breeding all his life, and that only those of ripe experience can succeed at the business. What a foolish idea! Whilst experience in this business, like in all others, certainly aids the breeder in knowing just what to do, there is nothing perplexing or intricate about the business, for it only needs care and attention, mixed, of course, with a little hard sense and industry. The broodmares should be allowed to run out during the winter and summer, and the larger the range all the better. Like the human race, they like a change in their surroundings and like new scenery. However, they must be stabled during all rainy or snowy weather, and on days and nights when the atmosphere is damp and cold winds are blowing. They dont dislike cold weather, provided they can find a place to keep off the cold winds. It is not even necessary to stable them during the bad weather, provided they have a suitable shed room to run under during such weather. Good grass will keep them fat the year around unless during bad weather, as spoken of above; but at such times they must be fed and fed amply on corn and oats and good mixed hay, and unless the grass is really good they must be fed at all times. Never allow them to get poor, and should they get in this condition by all means fatten them during warm weather by feeding both grain and hay. Salt them twice a week regularly, and a little salt mixed in their food helps them wonderfully and aids their digestion. A few weeks before the mare is due to foal have her stabled and brushed off once a day and fed on not less than ten pounds of good wheat bran, say one-half of this amount twice per day. There is danger in feeding the bran dry; so sprinkle it with a little water until it becomes moist. By carefully doing this the mare is in fine condition to foal and to raise her foal, for her milk supply from this cause will be fully doubled and a good start to a youngster is everything. After the foal comes, continue to feed the brans mixed with some oats, for, say, two months, or one month, anyway. Discontinue it only in the case that your grass is strictly first-class. A high English authority once said that one-half of the colts value and speed went down his throat, and I heartily endorse that statement. I am a strong advocate of feeding and feeding well. When any friend recommends to you to feed fodder that is, corn fodder hauled and thrown out during the winter draw a pistol on him, unless cut up and shredded fine and fed with ground oats or corn it is no good, but fed in this way it is extra fine. Wean your foals promptly at five months old, and if the foal is not doing well wean it sooner. The foal, after weaning, must be allowed to run out at least twelve hours out of every twenty-four, and the larger the range all the better. Dont confine in a small paddock. Colt foals should have a stall to themselves after weaning, but fillies can run in pairs until February 1 of their yearling form and be stalled together if large enough. Have the foal after weaning brushed and cleaned off thoroughly every evening before you put up for the night. There is as much in grooming a horse as there is in feeding, and by grooming the horse well every day they will need less feed to keep them in good condition. Dont allow them to get too fat, but there is not much danger in this. Have your stable and stall cleaned out thoroughly every day and haul the manure and old bedding away. Dont leave it in heaps around the stable. This brings sickness and disease. Have your stable and stalls whitewashed all over two or three j times each year and sprinkle crude carbolic acid it doesnt cost much and lime in every stall at least once a month. Follow this and you will never be troubled with distemper or other contagious diseases. Keep distemper away for it is hard to eradicate. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." When the foal first arrives and seems to strain to have an action, get some soapsuds and inject once or twice, and have the water" just as hot as the colt can stand without scalding him. This will soften the action and let it pass. Take two-thirds part of water and one-third of coaloil and with a sponge rub well into the colts hair all over. This will kill lice and make his coat smooth. Select some day when the sun is shining and turn the colt out after sponging, or there is danger of his catching cold. Feed the dam in a low trough, so your foal can learn how to eat grain; but the oats or corn you use must be ground. After the first sixty days you can fence off a place where you can feed the colt and the mare cannot go under to eat up its food. Feed the youngster all he can eat three times a day on a variety of ground food. Never use any sort of hay for the youngster except sweet clover hay that has never been allowed to get wet. The more you handle the foal and the earlier the better it is for him. When allowed to grow wild there is great chance for injury when it comes to breaking him. Foals should be haltered and handled some by leading and brushing off from the time they are thirty days old. When the mare or foal show symptoms of sickness, dont attempt to doctor them yourself, but send immediately for a veterinary surgeon. You know more about farming than a doctor, but the doctor knows more about medicine than you do. Symptoms of colic and a locked bowel are very much the same. Tou might think you could cure a colt of the colic, when he really had the other complaint, and in this case it would mean a dead colt, for unless taken in time they cannot be saved. There is no economy in trying to save a doctors bill. Now that your colt has been raised to be a yearling, dont be afraid to ask a high price for him. If you dont ,put a high value on your own colt certainly no one else will. This does not prevent you from taking less provided you choose to do it. Now, any breeder who will follow out strictly the above instructions will not only raise yearlings successfully, but they will race on the turf and race well. Very Respectfully Tours, Veteran Thoroughbred Breeder.
