152 HUNTING 



which the young breeder has to contend. The rule 

 briefly is, to correct in the progeny the defects or 

 imperfections of the mare by seeking in the stallion 

 perfection in those points in which the mare is 

 defective. But there is one exception to this rule 

 which is constantly overlooked, namely, that it is 

 worse than useless to try to compensate by the 

 great size of the sire for the deficiency in that 

 respect of the mare. The reason for this exception 

 is that the offspring will partake of some of the 

 proportions of the sire and some of the dam, therefore, 

 if a very large horse be put to a very small mare, 

 the foal may take after its sire in the fore-quarters, 

 and its dam in the hind-quarters, and will lack the 

 exactness of anatomical proportions, without which a 

 horse is comparatively worthless. The surest means 

 of gaining success in the art of selecting suitable 

 crosses is to trace the pedigrees of the best horses 

 of modern times, and make choice of blood as nearly 

 as possible approximating to that which has been 

 conducive to so much excellence. That what is bred 

 in the bone comes out in the flesh, we feel convinced 

 is as true in the equine as it is in the human race. 

 Yet the trouble of tracing pedigrees, indispensable 

 to the successful breeding of racing stock, is often 

 neglected in regard to the breeding of hunters, though 

 it must be the foundation of successful breeding. 



It is a well-authenticated fact that the thorough- 

 bred sire is the only available progenitor of the most 

 valuable horses suitable for hunting purposes. Owing 

 to the increase in the breeding of thoroughbred stock, 



