80 THE CHANGE COUNTY 



CHAPTER V. 



ON BREEDING STOCK. 



BREEDERS of all kinds of animals are unanimous in their 

 opinions that it is necessary to have distinct varieties, usually 

 distinguished as thoroughbred, for the propagation of the 

 species, whether it be determined to carry on the unblem- 

 ished pedigree, or to cross with other breeds. 



It is a general observation with those who have devoted 

 attention to the subject, that horses and mares require much 

 time after they have been trained, before they distinguish 

 themselves as the progenitors of first-rate stock. This affords 

 another argument in favor of early training. Both with 

 mares and stallions their best foals have often not come forth 

 till they were advanced in years. According to the presumed 

 age of the Godo'lphin Arabian, he was thirteen years old 

 when he became the sire of Kegulus; Paynator and Whale- 

 bone were each of them twenty years old when their sons, 

 Doctor Syntax and Sir Hercules, were foaled. Potoooooooo, 

 Sultan, Langar and Venison, were each of them sixteeen 

 years old when they became the sires respectively of Waxy, 

 Bay Middleton, Epirus and Kingston. Melbourne was fif- 

 teen when he begat West Australian; Haphazard fourteen 

 when he was the sire of Filho da Puta. OrviILe was the same 

 age when he was the sire of Ebor, and twenty when he be- 

 got the still more celebrated Emilius; and an infinity of sim- 

 ilar examples may be added. This property applies more 

 generally to stallions than to mares; for it is sometimes ap- 

 parent that their first foals are vastly superior to their subse- 

 quent produce. This was the case in olden times with the 

 dams of Mark Antony, Conductor, Pyrrhus, and Pantaloon; 

 and more recently with Sultan, Touchstone, Sir Hercules and 

 Filho da Puta. Whether the subsequent change of partners 

 has any prejudicial effect on the future progeny is a subject 

 worthy the most scrupulous attention of breeders. 



It is curious to remark, that when a thoroughbred mare 

 has once had foals to common horses, no subsequent foals 

 which she may have had by thoroughbred horses have ever 



