( Continued from page 4 )
Ricky Hinds of Rockwood is showing SUN ’ S TROUB LEMAKER this season . This five-year-old black gelding has been a winner in the past , tying third at the 1968 Celebration with Bob riding . Ricky has taken over the showing and is a threat in the juvenile ranks this year .
From the above-named horses it is obvious that Bob has a barn full of top horses . In all divisions you can count on the Bob Cooley Stables to be a contender . LITTLE TEXAS will be out to make the name of the Bob Cooley Stables even better known , and he earnestly solicits your support in his bid to become the Three-Year-Old World Champion .
HOW YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR FOAL CROP
By Edward A . Heinemann Washington Horse Breeders ’ Association , Seattle
If I were gifted with the knowledge and ability to inform my readers that , by doing A-B-C-D-E , each horseman could increase his annual foal crop by 10 % to 20 %, I would undoubtedly be the individual most sought after by the leading stud farms of the world .
Needless to say , we are all vitally concerned about the reproductive efficiency of our broodmares . We are talking about dollars to be made or lost . We are in a phase of the domesticated livestock industry that has historically lagged behind the reproductive efficiency of all classes of farm animals .
Perhaps we should ask a few questions as to why the reproductive rate of live normal offspring in the equine falls so far short of that attained by other
classes of livestock so that we may more clearly understand our problem and seek some possible solution .
The Problems
1 . The horse has the longest gestation period of any domestic animal and thus , we are looking at the possibility of only one foal a year , as contrasted to the swine where two crops per year is the norm ; poultry where the offspring of a hatch can mature and reproduce within the year and in which one hen may produce as many as 300 or more fertile eggs in a single year . In some areas , certain breeds of sheep are producing two crops in one year or three crops in two years . The purebred cattleman tends more and more toward calving from any given cow each 11 months .
2 . The comparatively high individual value of the purebred horse which has led his master to become over-protective in stabling , restriction of exercise , departure from natural pasture breeding because of the potential dangers of loss of valuable animals due to injury .
3 . The economic stress and strain brought about b ' inflated sire values which preclude many breeder from owning a stallion , but rather are forced to tak their mares to other farms for breeding , creates profc blems of possible disease transmission , causes nerv ousness , and possible reduced breeding efficiencv c the mares .
4 . The very desire of the breeder ( especially thos . breeding for racing and show ) to breed their mare . t ° " he J ? est stalhon they can get a season to , bring about the need to ship mares many miles _ evZ across continents and oceans - to go to the court r the desired mate These departures from nature ’ inefficient11 certe »* ly contribute to breedinj
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5 . The arbitrary age classifications with respect to show categories puts a premium on extremely early foals . Again , we have a departure from nature ’ s apparent intent .
6 . The mobility of the horse today with respect to shipment to other farms for breeding purposes . True , the stallion farms all follow approved precautions with respect to disease control , but one must accept the fact that exposure possibilities are tremendous .
The Possible Solutions
The name of the game is money and today ’ s breeder appears to be willing to take the risk with the hope that he gets that stakes winner or breed champion .
If we must then live with the shadow of the dollar
and the desire to produce a champion , it would seem that we will have to live with some of the problems we have created for nature . We can observe several principles of common sense and good judgement to the end that we not further hinder our chances of a reasonable and realistic foal crop .
1 . Select broodmare prospects not only from their credentials as displayed in their pedigrees and racing or show performances , but give detailed attention to their physical indications of good health , conformation with respect to genitalia , and evident femininity .
2 . Practice good horse husbandry with respect to
nutrition , food care , dentistry , parasite control , disease immunity administrations .
3 . Provide proper pasturage and space for adequate exercise , even to the point that exercise is enforced through distribution of feeding and water locations or periodic forced movements of all mares . Keep them as close to nature as common sense dictates . DON ’ T OVERPROTECT .
4 . Obtain the best veterinary services possible . Examine all mares periodically . Most importantly , have a complete annual ( or oftener ) veterinary physical examination of all barren or maiden mares , preferably early in the fall of the year to determine if infections or abnormalities are present which might be corrected well ahead of the breeding season the following spring .
5 . Practice an inclining plane of nutrition as the breeding season approaches , much in the manner of the sheep man who " flushes ” his ewes prior to and during the breeding season . Here it is the " eye of the
master ” who has his mares in the peak of physical condition and nutritionally toned as he enters the breeding season . A word of caution , however ; overfat mares are in themselves a problem .
6 . Select sires with a known high fertility record . This is not to say that one should ignore that sire who gets all top horses , but who in his best years seems to come up with only a half-dozen foals . But if you do select that kind of horse , you know that the odds are about one in four or five that your mare will conceive , despite her own excellent fertility record .
7 . In the event the mare owner is inexperienced , an absentee owner , or not inclined to personally supervise his band of mares , he should obtain the services of a stud farm manager who knows his business .
8 . Although this suggestion may delve into the realm
of a daydream , perhaps one of our greatest aids would be to get racing and show age classification base dates changed from January 1 to March 1 . This then would place the breeding season in the true spring of the year - again , a return to the scheme of nature .
Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse