118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



stance of the bone is of the greatest importance, and the difference 

 between the bone of the thorough-bred and one not thorough-bred 

 is very marked, calling the attention of the most careless observer. 



The bone processes, or projections, which serve as levers for the 

 muscles to act upon, must be prominent and well defined, or the 

 animal cannot make great efforts, — no matter how good wind, and 

 temper, and vital powers he may have, — without danger of injury 

 by slipping of the muscles from the bones by the action of the 

 muscle in contraction between these attachments. This slipping 

 or strain of the unprotected muscle produces spavins, curbs, &c., 

 as the fluids ossify, or form into bone, involving the joints and 

 action of the muscles. 



If these conclusions are correct (and I have endeavored to study 

 such causes carefully) how many men who breed horses post 

 themselves carefully and act understandingly, when selecting 

 animals to breed of either sex ? 



Of the many mares brought to my stable each year for 

 breeding purposes, nearly half are unfit to breed from, expecting 

 to produce the best stock, or satisfactory results, and I doubt not 

 many breeders can say the same. It is very hard to convince many 

 men that their favorite mare is worthless as a breeder — the chances 

 being entirely against the breeder. They are willing and anxious 

 to pay the fee of service and expect to get a satisfactory result 

 therefrom, or the horse is to blame. 



Shall I draw a supposition or two like which there are many 

 examples ? A gentleman of means in some city has a favorite 

 mare who has served him well but having become broken down by 

 hard usage, accident and good feed, finds it necessary to supply 

 her place with a more vigorous animal, sends her to the country to 

 breed to some horse who has trotted fast, or whose owner has had 

 his horse well posted in the public journals, without any idea by 

 examination of his physical powers, or antecedents, or how they 

 will couple, yet is disappointed when he succeeds in getting a 

 colt, that it is small, ill-formed and worthless, and is disgusted 

 with his experiment, and if kept a stallion, as they are in many 

 cases, is sent to the country to spread his faults further. Another 

 class of mares used for breeding, and they are nearly four-fifths of 

 all in New England, is the farmer's mare of all work, which from 

 under size, bad color, broken wind and unsoundness of all kinds, 

 or ill-temper, are set to breeding because they cannot be sold for a 

 fair price in the market. Yet these mares are expected to breed 



