IN-BREEDING OUT-CROSSING. 49 



I am of opinion, that a horse should only be termed in-bred, 

 when in sum total less than four degrees lay between its parents 

 and their common ancestor ; in other words, when the children 

 or grandchildren of a stallion or a mare are mated, I call their 

 produce in-bred ; but this term does not apply to the produce 

 of great grandchildren of the common ancestor. We must 

 not forget that in the pedigrees of horses the word brother or 

 sister often means half-brother or half-sister, and that here the- 

 definition borrowed from the human family connection is. not 

 applicable. 



As breeding within moderate relationship I reckon the mating 

 of stallion and mare that are removed from their common an- 

 cestor four, five, or six degrees. It is indifferent whether they 

 are on both sides equidistant from, or one of them nearer to the 

 male or female progenitor than the other. 



The English breeder of the old school was of opinion, that 

 breeding from very closely related parents, even if possessed of 

 the most excellent qualities, as a rule, led to disappointing 

 results ; in isolated cases, however, to the production of indi- 

 vidual animals qf quite extraordinary capabilities ; and on the 

 whole, I incline to that view myself. 



More recently and in consideration of such exceptional in- 

 stances, especially since Friponnier's appearance, the mating of 

 very nearly connected stallions and mares has frequently been 

 tried in England, but generally with the old result, that is, 

 abundant failures, but also a few eminent exceptions, like 

 Galopin and Petrarch. 



As a matter of course follows the important question as to 

 the individual productive power of such in-bred stallions. The 

 current which in England set in the direction of in-breeding, 

 naturally caused a strong counter-current, in its turn in many 

 cases rejecting for breeding purposes, as in-bred, stallions 

 that, in my opinion, come not within the meaning of the 

 term. 



In order to gain a clear insight into the matter, let us classify 

 the stallions renowned on the turf and afterwards used for stud 

 purposes, according to the degree of relationship existing be- 



4 



