84 ESSAY ON THE STALLION. 



explain it, proving the correctness of their state- 

 ments by reference to the first of the horse's get, 

 produced under a proper system of breeding, and 

 which were then in their prime, and among the 

 best horses in England. 



Almost every observing farmer in this country 

 has remarked 'that whenever, within his knowl- 

 edge, an ordinary work-horse has, by chance cov- 

 ered a tolerably good mare, the foal thus produced 

 has, at maturity, almost invariably become a bet- 

 ter animal than it was expected to be, and in 

 many cases proved quite superior to the get of the 

 high-priced and highly pampered stallions of the 

 neighborhood. What was the cause of this? 

 Condition. The work-horse, by constant and 

 severe exercise, was brought into health and 

 strength, and his stock partook of the state of his 

 system at the time of copulation. Why is it that 

 many experienced farmers, after having tried the 

 best stallion within their knowledge, frequently 

 resort to the keeping of one of their own colts or 

 farm-horses entire, for the service of their mares, 

 and actually obtain as large and as good and sale- 

 able stock from such a one, as that from the pub- 

 lic stallions of far superior size, form, blood, and 

 all other qualities, except this indispensable con- 

 dition f 



It may be stated that, generally, whenever the 

 get of a stallion has proved, at maturity to be of 

 remarkable excellence comparatively with the 

 sire, such horse has been, at and previously to the 

 time of getting such valuable stock, kept without 

 pampering, without excessive sexual service, and 

 with a good share of exercise or labor. 



To show the effect of a peculiar state of the sys- 

 tem in the parents at the time of the cop- 

 ulation, instances may be cited from various 



