76 DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN HORSE 



Horse Breeding 



Without going into the principles of animal breeding as a science, 

 we will consider horse breeding as practiced and practicable, 

 alluding to some of the well-known laws and rules as they suggest 

 themselves, when having a bearing upon the particular problems 

 under consideration. Probably the first question that concerns the 

 horse breeder is the kind of mares to breed from, and it indeed 

 merits much more careful thought than it frequently receives. 



The fundamental principle of breeding, " like begets like," applies 

 to the brood mare with the same force that obtains with other 

 animals, and if it is true, as it undoubtedly is, that it does not pay 

 to produce inferior horses, then it obviously does not pay to breed 

 poor mares, with the certainty that their inferiority will be repro- 

 duced. 



The mare must be a good animal of her kind. She must be 

 free from defects of size and conformation that may be transmitted 

 to her progeny. She must not have unsoundnesses of a hereditary 

 nature. Her temperament and intelligence are also as subject to 

 the laws of heredity as any other qualities. Broken down and 

 unsound mares are not desirable breeding propositions. Age is 

 no bar to the desirability of a brood mare ; in fact, an old mare, if 

 sound and of the right type, presents distinct advantages by way 

 of guarantee of stamina and longevity, and freedom from predispo- 

 sition to unsoundness. There are, however, certain difficulties 

 and even added risks in breeding old mares. Their fecundity is 

 lessened and difficulties of parturition are somewhat increased by 

 old age. 



So long as breeders generally must select from among animals 

 considerably short of perfection, and we advise discrimination against 

 the defects mentioned, it may well be asked " what mares then can 

 we breed ? " Probably the defects of lack of refinement, a rather 

 open conformation bordering on coarseness, and other characters 



xercise your horses before putting them into the hard spring n>or. 



