ON THE BREEDING OF HORSES. 



The following valuable article was prepared by Colonel H. L. 

 Shields, at the request of the managers of the Rensselaer County 

 Agricultural Society : 



In most dissertations upon this useful and indispensable animal, 

 much space is devoted to describing the origin of the horse — the 

 differenqes between the Darby and the Godolphin Arabian ; how 

 they were obtained, &c., &c., subjects which, in our judgment, 

 but little interest the breeder of the present day. We propose, 

 therefore,' briefly, to allude to those points in breeding, breaking, 

 training, driving, and the general management of the horse, as 

 shall equally interest all who, either for business or pleasure, use 

 this noble brute. Many of our farmers who yearly raise one or 

 more colts, pay no attention whatever to the size, action, &c., of 

 the mares or stallions they make use of; and many men of business 

 and pleasure who keep horses, knowing nothing of how their ani- 

 mals should be fed, groomed, driven and managed, leave all of 

 these important considerations to the care and judgment of bipeds 

 as ignorant as the brute himself, and far more unfeeling, thus caus- 

 ing heavy losses to owners from their own carelessness or ignor- 

 ance. It will therefore be our aim to give in a brief space such 

 hints as shall remedy this evil, to all those who will take the pains 

 to peruse this article and remember the contents. First, then, 

 as to 



Breeding. Under this head it is well to consider the use for 

 which the animal is designed — whether for the road, the coach, the 

 course or heavy draft. No animal is fitted for all these various 

 purposes. 



It is desirable that all horses should be of good color, dark bay, 

 chestnut or brown, (with as few white marks as possible,) these 

 colors being best, and indicating more constitution than the lighter 

 colors. Small, lean heads ; full eyes; long, tapering necks; sharp, 

 deep shoulders, sloping well back, (for heavy draft some prefer the 



