HORSES. 231 



From the Report of the Committee on Carriage Horses. 



The committee, in submitting their report, feel that they 

 would come far short of discharging their whole duty by merely 

 awarding the premiums oftered by the society, without making 

 some suggestions which occur to them in relation to this part 

 of the exhibition, and the importance and necessity of improv- 

 ing the breed of horses in this county. 



Although the exhibition of horses at tliis show was quite 

 creditable to the county, and though many fine animals were 

 present for examination, many of them with decided marks of 

 excellence, yet they were not all of that high character which 

 this county ought and has a right to expect. Hampden, from 

 its soil and climate, and the intelligence and enterprise of its 

 inhabitants, is capable of producing as fine horses as any part 

 of New England ; and the committee are gratified to know that 

 the farmers of the county are giving increased attention to the 

 subject, and are introducing valuable stock horses of good blood 

 and excellent quality. 



Among the good blood horses of New England, the Morgan 

 and Black Hawk stand the highest, and many of them possess 

 marked superiority. The peculiar character and traits of these 

 bloods are well known and understood by many of our enter- 

 prising stock growers, and will be readily detected by any prac- 

 tical eye. Indeed, the character of those horses stands so higli, 

 that many specimens offered for exhibition and premium are 

 entered as Morgan or Black Hawk, and yet have not a particle 

 of those bloods in their veins. 



Another topic to which the committee would invite attention 

 is the character and condition of blood mares. It has formerly 

 been too much the practice to breed from mares which have 

 been broken down and worn out, by hard work or bad manage- 

 ment, and consequently of little or no value for other purposes, 

 and still less as breeders. Such animals produce only a puny 

 race, with unsound constitutions, liable to infirmities and dis- 

 ease, too valueless to pay for even half the trouble and expense 

 of rearing. But a very different practice is beginning to be 

 adopted. Many farmers are now taking the riglit course, by 

 selecting the very best young mares for breeding, as soon as 



