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intended to breed from. Let us not forget the old saying " that like begets hke ;" 

 and not continue to do as too many of us have done, year after year, bi-eed from 

 animals possessing the seeds of disease, and almost every bad quality, evident to 

 the most casual observer. "We should also give our especial attention to the 

 breeding of such a class of horses as combine, in the greatest degree, the desirable 

 quahties of power and speed — add to these, sufficient size, mettle, and docility of 

 disposition, with proper symmetry of form, and compactness — ^strong, clean, hard 

 bone, and tough hoof — and we have the most desirable horse for general busi- 

 ness, and one that will always command a good price in any market. The 

 muscles and tendons should be well developed, for the strength of an animal does 

 not depend so much upon the size of the bones as on that of the muscles. Many 

 • animals with large bones are weak, their muscles being small. How much 

 better for us to take pains and endeavor to raise good horses, than by carelessness 

 to continue to inundate the country with deformed, diseased, worthless scrubs. It 

 certainly costs as much, and even more, to raise poor, inferior animals, besides the 

 mortification of ha^'ing such a drug on our hands. The name "western horse," 

 might be a passpoi't to any market, if we would only pay suflBcient attention to 

 judicious selection in breeding. 



It is true, it would be difficult to procure animals without some defect ; but 

 our aim should be onward, and we should make use of every reasonable exertion 

 to select such as come nearest to the desirable standard. 



The first and most important step towards improvement, is to select the right 

 kind of mare, full of health and vigor. Youatt says it is more difficult to select 

 a good mare to breed from, than a horse, because she should possess some- 

 what opposite qualities. In order to improve the form of the ofispring, she 

 should be proportionally larger than the stallion; her carcass should be rather 

 long, to give rooni for the expansion of the foetus — yet with compactness of form, 

 and shortness of leg, chest rooomy, shoulders oblique and deep, withers well 

 I'aised, girth lai'ge, loins broad, and quarters wide, shanks flat and clean. The 

 muscles and their appendages (the tendons) cannot be too prominently developed 

 in the brood mare ; however desirable, or even perfect may have been the confor- 

 mation of the sire, everj' good point may be neutralized or lost by the defective 

 structure of the mare. 



The essential points should be good in both parents, or any minor defect in 

 either must be got rid of by excellence in that particular point in the other. 

 The careless breeder too often so badly pairs the animals, that the good points of 

 each are almost lost, the defects of both increased, and the produce is inferior to 

 either sire or dam. 



Another very bad practice, is that of breeding from young animals before 

 nature is wdl developed in form, and every organ has acquired full maturity. 



