128 THE HORSE. 



stamp his form so completely on his offspring, that it 

 will not be easily got rid of; bnt still it will unques- 

 tionably run out in the course of time ; and the more 

 complete and violent the cross, the sooner will the 

 peculiarities disappear. They can be retained only by 

 frequent returns to the same blood ; and by this plan 

 we can reap all the adA^antages of good stock, \Yithout 

 running in-and-in so very constantly and closely as 

 to run any hazard of ever deteriorating the constitu- 

 tion of the animal. We must be careful, however, to 

 observe that the individuals we select to breed from are 

 as near perfection as possible, both in themselves and 

 their ancestors. We will thus secure the transmission 

 of their good qualities. On the other hand, if there is 

 any special defect, it will be sure to pass down, when 

 it is thrown in-and-in, and will hardly ever be got rid 

 of. I think it is owing, in a great measm-e, to want of 

 attention to this mle, that there is so much prejudice 

 against close breeding. It will succeed only when the 

 good qualities bear an immense preponderance over the 

 bad ones. To those who wish for further information 

 on this important subject, I would strongly recommend 

 the perusal of Stonehenge's most admirable observa- 

 tions, in his " British Eural Sports." 



Experienced breeders very properly place great re- 

 liance on blood. In short, this just amounts to the 

 fact, that good and bad qualities are all hereditary. 

 *' Like begets like." No person ever saw a Clydesdale foal 



