65 



Remarks on the Breeding of Hoi-ses by W. H. Fox, Chairman of the Committee: 



Greenfield, Dane Co., Wis., Dec. 29th, 1851. 



Dear Sir — At the late Fair of our State Society held at Janesville, the short 

 space of time allotted to committees to make their reports, necessarily prevented 

 any very lengthy remarks ; were it otherwise, your committee on geldings would 

 have accompanied their report, with some more extended observations. Howe\'er 

 as a member of that committee and a farmer, I would respectfully oiler a few 

 suggestions, which may possibly be of some benefit to a portion of our farming 

 community. The raising of the horse and his application to labor, must always 

 constitute one of the most important and interesting branches of agriculture ; and 

 already not a few of our farmers are beginning to turn their attention particularly 

 to that business. 



But it is very plain, even judging from some of the specimens exhibited at the 

 fair, that most of our farmers breed without due regard to proper system, or to 

 the class of animals most desirable for pleasui-e and profit. They seem to think 

 that a mare rendered worthless by vicious habits, or disease, will do very well to 

 raise a colt from, no matter if she is blind, spavined, ring-boned, or splinted, small- 

 sized, or ill shaped — if they can only procure a good, large, fat horse for a sire. 



This is a very bad system and ought to be eradicated. The great evil is, they 

 pay too little attention to the kind of mare. Both animals ought to be perfect as 

 near as we can judge and get them, or else our breed of horses will never be 

 generally good, but a spurious race will continue, and degeneration progi-ess. 

 If breeders do not pay more attention to the hereditary transmission of disease ; 

 if we do not exercise proper judgment with regard to form, constitution, and 

 freedom from hereditary taint, how can we expect a sound or healthy offspring 

 from either sire or dam ? 



It is, therefore, ^■ery important that Agricultural Societies should have such 

 judges as are competent and able to discover any hereditary tendency to disease 

 or defect capable of being transmitted to the oftspring. 



If any disease or imperfection can be detected, such horses should then be 

 declared unfit to propagate their species. The principal maladies in the horse, 

 capable of being developed in tlieir issue, sooner or latei', are — all defective 

 organizations, splints, spa\'ins, ring-bones, curbs, tendency to contraction of the feet, 

 and founder, also disease of the eyes and respiratory organs. Of this we have 

 daily occular demonstration, together with the testimony of the best ^'eterinaly 

 pathologists. The improvements which have taken place in the difi'erent breeds 

 of animals, shows clearly how much we have under command, by judicious 

 crossing, size, form, action, disposition, (fee, and tendency to health or disease. 

 Knowing all this, of what vital consequence it is to avoid all defects in animals 



5 



