— 86 — 



The Best Stock the Cheapest. 



It may be laid down as the first rule — a foundation principle — 

 i\i2it the very hed and purest stock that is really adapted to the end in 

 view shoidd besought after. 



It costs even less to feed a horse of good blood and lineage than 

 it does to maintain a scrub ; it costs no more to shelter him ; it 

 costs less to groom him and keep him in condition than it does 

 to keep the scrub from looking like a scare-crow ; his movement 

 is almost invariably smoother and steadier for the same rates of 

 speed ; his temper is generally better ; his pluck and energy not 

 less so ; and if it is found necessar}^ to put him upon the market, 

 he brings a better price. The service of a stallion knowm to be 

 of good, generous blood, and possessing adequate powers of 

 transmission, must of course cost more ; there must be a dam 

 adapted to the obtaining of a foal of the best type possible from 

 such a sire ; but thepennj'-wise, pound-foolish policy of refusing 

 to avail one's self of these advantages, when in the bounds of 

 possibility, is too apparent. 



Taking it for granted, then, that the best, in this case, is 

 always the cheapest— that the finer and purer the horse can be, 

 other things being equal, the more useful, more easily maintained 

 and more marketable lie is bound to be, it remains to consider 

 some points that must always be regarded by the intelligent 

 breeder, who seeks wisely to adapt means to ends rather than 

 trust to chance. 



III. Hereditary Tendencies and Immaturity to be 



guarded Against. 



A caution most needful to be insisted upon at the outset is that 

 relating to the transmission of tendencies to disease and of actual 

 disease itself. It seems that no man in his right senses, know- 

 ing the results to the human family when this consideration is 

 disregarded, would think for a moment of utterly ignoring the 

 possibilities of evil consequences ; but ordinary observation leads 

 to the disclosure of the fact that among horses diseases and im- 

 paired constitutional powers are often transmitted in this way. 



