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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



in the hocks, nay, touched in the ■wind, or otherwise 

 afflicted with organic disease. What matter ? ' Tii' 

 old mare was a rum'un in her time sure-ly !' and the 

 horse, though he never started, doubtle:-s was once 

 entered for the Derby. So the produce, as may be ex- 

 pected, turns out a weak, weedy, and undersized foal — 

 bad on its leg, like its sire ; coarse in its appearance, 

 like its dam; without the speed of the former, or the 

 strength of the latter, but afflicted perhaps at the same 

 time with the worst qualities of both !" 



The very palpable remedy here is a thorough con- 

 tradiction to the existing practice that anything is good 

 enough to breed from. The first and chief care must 

 be the selection of well bred, good shaped, and com- 

 paratively fresli mares. They are to be had, and few 

 farmers need be told how to know them. The author, 

 however, of the paper we have quoted from, and which 

 we give in full in another place, prefers a means which 

 sounds to us almost, if not altogether, impracticable. 

 He would rather put thorough-bred mares to half-bred 

 horses than vice versa. Now, a good-looking, thorough- 

 bred, fresh mare, something fit to breed a hunter, will 

 always command a price that few farmers would care 

 to go to, whereas three-parts bred mares may be 

 bought in comparatively cheap. More than this, a 

 half-bred travelling stallion is generally a curse to his 

 district. We have seen very few we should like to use 

 on any terms. Bad heads, heavy shoulders, and 

 lumber passing for power, are their usual charac- 

 teristics; and neighbours, deceived by the something 

 to look at, not having the thorough-bred, put half- 

 bred mares to them— and we all know what must come 

 of that. You cannot breed successfully from crosses, 

 more especially we should say on the sire's side ; and 

 whether it be a stallion, a bull, or a ram, we must go 

 direct to the pure breeds. 



Never, certainly, was there such a pick or opportunity 

 of thorough-bred horses to cross with. We give with this 

 a list, prepared with great care, of somewhere about a 

 hundred and fifty such stallions, distributed through- 

 out the country, and there are doubtle.-^s many 

 more not so publicly advertised. But here again we 

 have to lament the want of system. Even if a man has 

 determined to cross with nothing but a thorough-bred 

 horse, ho as likely as not uses the first within call, be ho 

 ever such a brute or a weed. Race-horses, it is well 

 known, will ruu in all shapes and forms, and three- 

 cornered powerless-looking animals willsomotimes get 

 racehorses. But, on the contrary, all our famous hunter 

 sires have had the look of getting hunters, with size, 

 substance, bone, and action. Tiiere is scarcely an ex- 

 ception to this, and so the farmer must not rely merely 

 ou pedigree and performance, but consult his own judg- 

 ment, and ask himself directly if this be the sort of 

 horse to breed hunters from. The premiums now 

 offered so generally by our agricultural societies will 

 gi-adually tend no doubt to the extended use of the 

 really serviceable stallions ; while a writer in 

 Bull's Life in London has suggested another mean;", 

 which is well worth some consideration from those to 

 whom it is addressed : — 



" Let the master of hounds in every district and 

 county examine, or cause to be examined, by compe- 

 tent judges, including a ' vet,' the stallions which are to 

 go the rounds in the localities in which he hunts. 

 When he is satisfied that the horse is sound, strong, and 

 free from hereditary disease of any kind prejudicial to 

 stock, he should then give an accredited printed letter, 

 or ' ticket of leave/ to the owner of the horse. Give 

 tills diploma to as many stallions as really deserve it, to 

 be used in any or every county, town, or hamlet in 

 Great Britain or elsewhere. Let noblemen, landed 

 proprietors, wealthy farmers, and others interested in 

 promoting the good breed, encom-age this diploma sys- 

 tem, not only as regards farm-horses, but stock of all 

 kinds. Carry out the intentions of agricultural so- 

 cieties not alone by going to annual meetings and 

 looking nt others' good works, but try and contribute 

 yourselves. What is the use of admiring only what 

 others do, when there is little expense incurred in as- 

 sisting in the I'ight cause yourselves ? If this plan be 

 carried out, I have no doubt whatever that the number 

 of brood-mares and breeders of horses for the hunting- 

 field, the road, and for draught, will be greatly in- 

 creased. The allurements of ribands, and flesh without 

 muscle, to the eye of the inexperienced, will fade before 

 the character of the stallion which has passed his 

 examination before the ' council,' however it may bo 

 constituted." 



There is no question at all that good horses are 

 getting more and more in demand, both for our own 

 use and for exportation. It is, indeed, a common 

 matter of remark how systematically other nations 

 are buying up our best stock. The Paris corres- 

 pondent of the Times writes to say, " The pur- 

 chase of horses is going on, and we ai-e told that not 

 only are the regular staldes of Viucennes full of them , 

 but that temporary sheds which have been prepared 

 are equally crowded." Then, again, in Austria the 

 horse would appear to be yet more prized ; for, onco 

 obtained, the Government issues an official prohi- 

 bition against his export ! And The Hull Packet 

 chronicles a cargo of " very valuable" riding and 

 carriage horses for Antwerp, and another similar 

 shipment for Hamburgh. If there be no question as to 

 the demand, the only one is whether it be worth the 

 farmer's time to give more attention to the supply ? 

 At any rate, it is a branch of his business that has 

 never yet been done anything like justice to, and that 

 appears to us really worthy of a fair trial. We know 

 that the dealer has so far had the credit of getting all 

 the profit out of it, and that gentlemen are said to ac- 

 tually prefer buying of him to going to their own 

 neighbours. Let our able friend from the Shires in a 

 bit of a caution tell us the reason why : — 



" We must give our word of advice to the farmer. 

 Never have two prices. If you honestly believe your 

 horse is worth £2bQ, let no consideration induce you 

 to sell him for £249 10s. 6d. Above all, avoid that 

 ridiculous and unworthy practice of selling for ^£'.300 

 and giving £50 back. In horse-dealing, as in every 

 thing else, an honest, straightforward course, backed 



