BREEDING OF HORSES. . 115 



with trotting mares is pacing colts. An important fact to be 

 remembered when considering these influences is that stallions are 

 kept in healthy, strong, determining, energetic condition, much more 

 than the mare, and this brings me to the point claimed by the best 

 \yriters, and I believe it, — that the blood horse determines the 

 peculiar type of his get much more surely than mixed blood. His 

 constitutional powers have been kept up to the highest point by 

 careful, judicious selections of the most able, vigorous animals in 

 each generation. And when they are stinted to mixed blood or 

 cold-blooded mares, the type is in favor of the horse. 



In selecting a sire to breed, I should first select an animal in the 

 line and class desirable. His health and vigor are of the first impor- 

 tance ; also the health and vigor of the sire and dam, and grandsire 

 and grand-dam. 



Their size, formation, color, temper, &c., follow to be considered. 

 The size is determined by the use the animals are intended for. 

 If for trotting (a class that brings the highest price) 15 hands to 

 15.3 is the desirable height, and 900 to 1000 lbs. weight in unfit is 

 best, as all over this weight is surplus weight to be carried. And 

 while there are many fine trotters 16 hands and over and weighing 

 1100 lbs. and over, yet experience proves that, qualifications being 

 equal, the tenons give away under the action of greater leverage 

 and the feet oftener give out under the force of impingement and 

 weight which larger animals generally are subjected to. — This is 

 equally true in the running horse and roadster ; the 900 to 1000 

 lbs. roadster lasts better than a larger one, while in the team horse 

 weight is needed and speed must be given up to a great extent. 



Having selected a size suited to the proposed stock so far as 

 pedigree is concerned, formation is next to be considered. If you 

 wish to have running stock for sporting purposes, the running 

 horse exercised and bred to that exercise must be selected ; as in 

 almost all cases the peculiar motion and fitness of the joints and 

 muscle attachments in this class of horses are suited to this move- 

 ment and not to trotting movements. Yet these characteristics 

 are modified by one or two crosses, particularly when trotting 

 stallions are stinted to running mares. 



Let the hearer examine the position taken by the hind feet of 

 trotting horses of approved open gait while standing at rest, and 

 those of the majority of running horses, and he cannot fail to 

 see the effect of the formation to which I refer. It would be 

 absurd to expect a trotter, however well the animal might be 



