BREEDING THE TROTTER 



farther advanced but for the set-back during the 

 Civil War period. 



SELECTING A MATE. 



Naturally, every breeder has a preference for 

 certain lines of blood. I am somewhat partial to 

 the ' ' best son of a best son ' ' theory. On pedi- 

 gree alone I would prefer to cross a mare to a horse 

 descended from Hambletonian through his best 

 sons, George Wilkes and Electioneer, than through 

 any other sons although other sons were success- 

 ful, such as Happy Medium, Egbert, Strathmore, 

 Aberdeen, Dictator, Harold and Alexander's 

 Abdallah. The latter horse I consider the best 

 son of his sire for his opportunities. So many 

 trotters have come from his few descendants that 

 he himself must have had the requirements of a 

 sensational sire and would doubtless have proved 

 one but for his untimely death. 



The average brood-mare owner does not study 

 pedigrees closely enough. The most compre- 

 hensive treatment of this subject is S. W. Parlin's 

 book, " The American Trotter," which should be 

 in every brood-mare owner's hands. 



When you come to select a mate for your mare 

 do not rush to the stallion most prominent before 

 the public until you are sure he will make a good 

 cross on your mare. Do not judge a stallion by 

 the number he has in the 2.30 list, but judge him 

 by the number of good, successful race-horses he 

 has sired. As an example of crossing two strains 

 of blood let us suppose that you have on your 



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