CONCLUDING REMARKS. 155 
grass and a command of money, it is quite useless for him to think of the 
race-horse; nor will he do well, without these concomitants, to dabble in 
hunters. Cart-horses, now-a-days, pay well when there is work for them 
to do up to their third or fourth year; and carriage-horses are likewise a 
good speculation, when the land is suitable to their development. No one, 
however, should turn his attention to the breeding of hacks on a large 
scale, since they will almost inevitably cost more than they will fetch at 
five years old. The farmer who keeps one or two “nag” mares is the 
only person who can be said to rear hacks without loss; and he only does 
so, because he begins to use them for his own slow work as soon as they 
are three years old. Even in his case, however, I much doubt whether 
the same food which has been given the colts would not have been turned 
to greater profit if given to horned cattle ; and the only thing which can 
be said in favour of the former is, that they eat coarse grass which the 
latter will refuse. To make the breeding of the horse turn out profitably, 
the hack and inferior kind of harness-horse ought to be the culls from a 
lot of colts intended for the hunting-field, and then, the one with the 
other, they may be made to pay. 
CONCLUDING REMARKS ON BREEDING. 
THE ANGRY Discussions which have taken place in the year 1860, 
between Lord Redesdale and Admiral Rous, indicate plainly what is the 
general opinion on the subject of the diminution in the stoutness of our 
horses. Breeders therefore, should turn their attention to this point, and 
should be doubly careful to avoid weedy or diseased sires and dams. It 
cannot be denied that our modern thoroughbreds possess size and speed ; 
but they certainly do not shine in staying powers, as I have already more 
than once remarked. But there are some strains particularly free from 
this defect, and these I have endeavoured to point out. It should not, 
moreover, be forgotten that though the thoroughbred horse will bear more 
work, especially at high speed, than any other kind, yet he can only do 
this if well fed and warmly housed. Leing a native of a warm and dry 
climate, he requires to be protected from the weather; and the young 
stock must be well reared in all respects, or they will never pay. If, 
therefore, the breeder is not determined to put up warm hovels in every 
paddock, and if he is stingy of his corn, he had far better let his stud of 
mares be composed of lower bred animals. If a thoroughbred horse and 
a donkey are both fed upon the lowest quantity and quality of food which 
will keep the latter in condition, the donkey would beat its high-bred 
antagonist over a distance of ground—that is to say, supposing the expe- 
timent to be continued long enough to produce a permanent effect upon 
the two animals. A cart-horse colt, or one of any kind of low blood, will 
do well enough if reared, till he is put to work, upon grass and hay ; but 
a race-horse or hunter, of high breeding, would show a badly-developed 
frame, and be comparatively worthless for his particular kind of work, 
if he were not allowed his corn from the time that he is weaned. 
