2(56 now TO make the faem iay. 



pose of the firmer is— sixteen hands high ; fore legs above the 

 knee, and hind legs above the hock, long and muscular; below 

 these joints, short and bony ; joints round and well set, short 

 backed, well ribbed up, short in tbe saddle place, and long 

 below it ; high withers, broad loins, broad chest, straight rump, 

 a hic'h muscular crest, a lean well set head, broad nostrils, 

 small curs, and a small clear eye. (See fig. 09.) A dark bay is 

 the best oolor, an iron grey next, then black, and other dark 

 shades. The mane and tail should always be darker than the 

 hair of the body. The prevaiHng method of using stallions 

 cannot be too strongly condemned. The unscrupalous owners 

 ot stallions tax them to a degree ruinous to them and their 

 progeny. No stallion should be used regularly as a breeder, 

 until he is four years old. When three, he may be put to a 

 half dozen mares, and his qualities tested, but too much must 

 not be expected of his stock, at this age. If it is passable, keep 

 him for a stallion ; with moderate usage his colts will be g. ^od 

 until he is twelve or sixteen. But the present monstrous prac- 

 tice of allowing stallions to serve from sixty to eighty mares in 

 a single season of three months, rapidly deteriorates the stock. 

 Twenty mares, or at most two a week, for the season, is all that 

 any stallion can be taxed, without serious loss in the quality of 

 his colts. And instead of being confined all the time in the 

 .stable, eating heating food, and only seeing the mare when led 

 out for copulation, they should be allowed to run together fur 

 a day or two, in the pasture ; both the horse and ihe mare will 

 enjoy this season, and the superiority of the foal will abundant- 

 ly repay such an allowance. You will raise horses with much 

 less disposition to be vicious. 

 Our breed of horses will continue to deoienerate as lonar as 



o o 



the present exhaustive practice is continued. The only practi- 

 cal remedy, that we now see, is for farmers to club together and 



