OF FARRIERY. 



329 



pence, their growth is stunted — if on rich 

 grass, they lose their speed. Whetlier we 

 try to renovate tliis exhausted race, or substi- 

 tute another, the objects we seek are a more 

 compact form and greater vigour ; and these 

 can only be found in Horses whicli are nearer 

 to a state of nature. So long as individual 

 differences in a race enable us to correct indi- 

 vidual defects, we may dispense with fresh 

 blood, but no longer. 



A National Establishment having selected 

 Horses fr'jm amongst a fine race, distinguished 

 from their companions by their symmetry, 

 their natural speed, and full amount of muscles, 

 should carefully observe how far the artificial 

 properties afterwards given to the race dimi- 

 nished its natural ones. A mass of facts would 

 after some years be obtained and recorded, 

 calculated to throw for the first time a steady 

 light on the distant, as well as pro.ximate, con- 

 sequences resulting from factitious causes. 

 These facts are not likely to be collected under 

 any system less permanent and comprehensive 

 tha:: ^ne under the controul of a National 

 Establishmeno. Its stock should be divided 

 into two portions ; botli snould be placed 

 under the inrtuence of continued selection for 

 speed and stoutness ; but one should be main- 

 tained at a structure as nearly natural as pos- 

 sible. With such conllieting properties as 

 speed, vigour, and great structural enlarge- 

 ment, a reserve of more natural animals cannot 

 be dispensed with. The enlarged portion of 

 the stock should again be divided into two 

 classes, one being kept for breeding, the other 

 for working ; the size of the former should be 

 allowed to become as large as is required to 

 enable it to produce animals sufficiently 

 powerful for working ; every effort should be 

 made to keep down the stature of the breeding 



animals to that point which suffices, by the 

 aid of rich food, to produce working animals 

 sufficiently powerful ; increasing the stature 

 of the race as little, and that of tlie individuals 

 as much as possible. In breeding Horses of 

 the best race it might be found desirable to 

 have one portion of less speed, but more mus- 

 cular, tlian the other, in order to meet that 

 variety of demand which exists in a hiohlv 

 civilized nation. There should be a certain 

 amount of foreign blood in the Horses of our 

 heavy cavalry ; but foreign Horses, having a 

 degree of speed which is incompatible with 

 much muscular power, are not so well calcu- 

 lated for heavy cavalry as liwrses with less 

 speed, but with more muscular and constitu- 

 tional power. Mamhrino, SweehcilUum, ov 

 Sedburt/, were better fitted for producing pro- 

 per stock for cavalry than Sliuike. This 

 animal was more advanced by art than the 

 earlier Horses as respects speed ; but he vva.s 

 not so uell calculated for enabling us to pro- 

 duce powerful saddle-Horses. If a foreign 

 race is to assist in the production of our heavy 

 cavalry Horses, it must possess as mucli 

 structural power as can be combined with a 

 sufficiency of action, vigour, and power. 



The natural qualitiesof the Horse are foimd 

 nearest perfection when they are in a condi- 

 tion the least removed from one of nature. 

 Artificial structure is obtained by rich food, 

 and artificial speed by contiimed selection. 

 The course of the breeder is easy so long as 

 it is in one direction ; that is, in advance: 

 When, however, the form of a whole race has 

 become deteriorated, the symmetry which is 

 lost can only be recovered by "oin-J- back to 

 nature. A National Establishment woidd, in 

 this case, renovate the enlarged portion of its 

 stock by having recourse to the animals whose 

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