56 Breeds of Horses 



excellent result of this premium system is that it has been edu- 

 cative. I think there is little doubt that breeders on the whole are 

 better judges than they were twenty-six years ago, and anyone who 

 listened to the remarks at the ring side at the earlier shows cannot 

 fail to be impressed with this. 



But he would be an optimist indeed who would venture to state 

 that the premium system provides a sufficiency of Thoroughbred 

 stallions for the use of the breeders of half-bred stock in the country. 

 Nor are the horses provided, as a rule, of the class that they ought 

 to be. It would be a liberal estimate to say that 1 5 per cent of the 

 premium horses are of high class, but I think we may put it down 

 at something like that. The remainder leave much to be desired. 

 Occasionally, however, there are very good horses left out of the 

 premium list ; much better horses in point of fact than some that 

 obtain premiums. This is occasioned by the system, which is at 

 best only a makeshift, as indeed it is bound by the complications 

 of the case to be. The amount of money at command is not large 

 — even when the super premium is added to the premium it is not 

 a princely fortune that the owner of the horse will gain. It is not 

 such a sum as justifies the authorities in saying, " Here is our 

 premium ; you must go where we tell you." This is a fact which 

 those appear to forget who say that the number of premiums 

 should be distributed to the whole of the horses in one class and 

 the districts allocated to the horses afterwards. The entries are 

 few enough as it is ; they would be still fewer if owners were not 

 allowed to select their own district classes. And any other plan 

 would be economically unsound, for naturally the best horses draw 

 to the districts where there are the best and the largest number of 

 mares. 



There is an inclination in the man who perhaps does not give 

 much thought to the subject, and who has not had much experience 

 with Thoroughbred horses, to select the premium horse right away 

 when mating his light mare. This is easily understandable, but 

 at the same time he may be warned to consider the case carefully 

 and on its individual merits before he decides. The horse may 

 be the best horse in the class, he may be the best horse in the 

 show, but he may not be the best horse for the individual mare 

 under consideration. 



In selecting a sire a great many people run away with the idea 

 that it is necessary to select a big, strong horse. There can be no 

 greater mistake. All the most successful sires I have known have 

 been under rather than over 16 hands; some of them have been 

 under 15. The three great requisites in a Thoroughbred stallion 



