Horse-Breeding Methods 75 



enable the breeders to observe their "action" 

 and form an estimate of their probable quali- 

 ties. Those considered valuable for breeding 

 purposes were put in the stud at two or three 

 years of age, while those not considered 

 valuable as breeders were usually sold for 

 racing purposes, or gelded first and sold after- 

 wards. The horses which went to the race 

 track usually had four or five years con- 

 sumed in training and racing and rarely got 

 into the breeding ranks before six or eight 

 years of age. 



Of two horses, one of which went into the 

 stud at the age of two or three, and the other 

 of which went to the race track and reached 

 the stud at the age of seven, which would be 

 likely to have the greater number of foals, 

 and which would be likely to be of the greater 

 average age at the time the foals were 

 born? 



There are several things likely to influence 

 the answers to these questions, and these 

 things and the answers are of high importance 

 in understanding the breeding of the trotter 



