BREEDING OF HORSES. 127 



age and strength give way to younger and stronger contestants, 

 who in time follow the same course. To breed in once, and then 

 out once or twice, then in again to the first line, I have no doubt 

 will give good results. 



This subject is treated to such length by authors whose 

 experience is worthy of your consideration, that I will leave it 

 with the endorsement given. I may add that I am trying the 

 experiment in a few cases with fine success, so far. 



Before closing allow me to remark that the rearing of horses is 

 capable of being a remunerative business by study and good 

 judgment, which is only directed and made good by investigation 

 into and adopting the theory of generation as closely as possible. 

 Without this it is certainly the poorest branch of farming interest, 

 and admits of fewest mistakes. 



But with a dam decidedly well-bred (thorough-bred, if you will) 

 of good form and size, and good temper, — no matter if nervous if 

 under control, — [and one always has a certain index of this point in 

 the ividth of the brain between and over the eyes) and good color and 

 structure, coupled with a horse of good size, say fifteen hands and 

 three inches, and good form and color, with prime health and 

 temper, good bone and feet, straight hind leg, hock not too low, 

 and reasonable slope to the shoulder, and natural trotting move- 

 ment, must give a class of animals that will always bring a 

 remunerative price in New England for road and gentlemen's use. 

 ¥ov trotters, the best thorough-bred mares for dams, especially if 

 they have been bred to trotting movements. I would then select 

 the horse for his constitutional powers, and true, steady, trotting 

 movement ; and the better bred he bo, the better. The longer he 

 has been bred in the line of those qualifications which you wish, 

 the surer you are of satisfaction in his progeny, and this repeated 

 point is more observable in this class than any other. There are 

 many practical points which are worthy of consideration in 

 connection with this subject, which we cannot discuss for want of 

 time. 



One point claims the attention of horse-breeders, as well as of 

 agriculturists generally, viz, — trials of speed at agricultural fairs. 

 Several New England journals of agriculture seem disposed to use 

 their influence against these trials, and propose not to allow the 

 breeder to show his animals at speed during their exhibitions. If 

 it is wrong, if it decidedly involves any principle of right or 

 morality, to train and exercise a horse to that qualification which 



