56 ORANGE COUNTY 



judged, as in the majority of instances it is sure to end 

 in disappointment. A mare, with all the best blood in 

 her veins, but without good shape and good points, 

 is not fit for breeding purposes. 



And the great and common error in breeding, is to 

 cross a compact dam with a large sire the object 

 being to increase the size of the offspring above that 

 of the dam the result is almost sure to end in disap- 

 pointment. This has been attempted in England, and 

 has proved a failure. The rule deduced from experi- 

 ence is, the dam must be as large or larger than the 

 sire. This is a historical fact. The history of breeding 

 ehows, that to improve a breed, we must select the 

 best- formed, largest mares, and cross them with 

 medium-sized, compact, muscular stallions. 



Size is not the measure of power. Some horses that 

 weigh 900 Ibs. will exceed in strength and endurance 

 others of 1,200 Ibs., or more; and of those horses that 

 have distinguished themselves as trotters, a large ma- 

 jority have been of medium size. Shortness of legs, 

 with compactness of form, is indispensable to great 



