The Breeding of Hunters and Roadsters 



191 



sideration. It will be found, that, as a rule, 

 this virtue proceeds from the dam more than 

 from the sire ; and we should consider it 

 perfectly imperative that every brood mare 

 have good high-knee action. More espe- 

 cially is this requisite when the cross which 

 we recommend is that between a thorough- 

 bred stallion and a clean-boned, half-bred 

 mare for producing roadsters, and between 

 the same sire and a mare with higher quality 

 and breeding for producing weight-carrying 

 hunters. 



The treatment of young stock from the 

 time of foaling opens up too wide a field to 

 be embraced within the limits of the present 

 paper; and we shall conclude our remarks 

 on the general question of breeding by refer- 

 ring to one point which is of much import- 

 ance'to the successful rearing of young horses, 

 We allude to the nature of the soil upon which 

 they are bred. There can be no doubt 

 that, if due regard were given to this 

 particular, we should seldom hear of bail 

 hoofs and sand-cracks, as well as of other 

 ills that horse-flesh is in its younger days so 

 very prone to. Hard clay is particularly 

 inimical to successful rearing of healthy stock. 

 ^^'here the paddocks, in dry weather, are of 

 such a nature that the ground becomes hard 

 and parched, the young stock may as well, 

 under a scorching sun, be made to walk upon 

 hot bricks, and the result would probably be 

 no worse. Lameness must be the inevitable 

 consequence, and that, too, at a critical period 

 of the young animal's existence ; whereas, if 

 cool, moist, soft meadow-ground could with a 

 little trouble be easily obtained for it, the salu- 

 tary eifect upon the poor creature's legs, and 

 the difference in his ultimately enhanced value 



to his owner, would amply repay the trouble 

 of providing such a change. Nor is the mis- 

 chief confined to the offspring alone, for the 

 dam being made to go with her young upon 

 such hard and hot soil, as is the case even in 

 some large breeding establishments in Eng- 

 land, must tend materially to inflame and 

 injure her feet. This, as we have said, being 

 one of those defects which, although in 

 the first instance only acquired and not in- 

 herent, become hereditary, is surely sufficient 

 reason for every one who contemplates breed- 

 ing to consider first whether the soil of his 

 locality be sufficiently adapted for the pur- 

 pose. Otherwise, although in all other respects 

 he may be both able and willing to give much 

 care and attention to the task, and to place 

 in his stud only such animals as are of a class 

 and stamp to render success and profitable 

 pursuit of the enterprize most probable, yet, 

 from this cause alone, failure and disappoint- 

 ment may be the consequence, and all his 

 other precautions be rendered utterly nugatory. 

 One mode of remedying the present dete- 

 riorated condition of the breed of hunters and 

 roadsters tlii^oughout the country occurs to us 

 as the easiest and most likely to be success- 

 ful — namely, for country gentlemen in each 

 district to take the initiative (for although not 

 all hunters, all are interested in getting 

 sound and useful horses, which at present 

 can hardly be found), and purchase a good 

 first-class stallion, put such a price upon his 

 services as farmers will pay, and upon no 

 account allow old worn-out and defective 

 mares or cart-mares to be put to him, and 

 look for remuneration, not from his services, 

 but from the higher class of young stock 

 which they would then be able to purchase. 



