THE HORSE BREED1KQ. 559 



mare we breed, but also the ancestral lines, that unite in her 

 blood. She should corne of a sound and honorable ancestry. 

 Disabilities may lie dormant for years, or even generations, arid 

 then appear. Hereditary weakness of bone, hoof, sinew, and 

 sight should not be propagated by breeding mares so affected. 

 Weakness of the eye is a more serious malady than is generally 

 thought. It leads to shying, flight, and often unmanagebleness 

 of horses, that make them not only unpleasant but dangerous 

 animals. 



The Color of the Mare is of more importance than is 

 usually considered. While it is true, " a good horse can not be 

 of a bad color," it is equally true that a good horse is the bet- 

 ter for having a good color. As the mare and stallion are to 

 duplicate their qualities and markings, it becomes a matter of 

 values, of dollars and cents, that the farmer exercise reasonable 

 care in breeding such mares as will produce the most attractive 

 animals. We can not in breeding racers and trotters expect 

 one in ten to 'be distinguished for speed. While they may all 

 move well, their values will be greatly enhanced by good size 

 and fashionable colors. They may then find a ready sale for 

 coach or driving-horses. The mare, then, should not only be 

 sound, of good family, but of good color. We may also add 



The Size of the Brood-Mare is most important. The 

 importance of a " roomy " mare is recognized by all, but that 

 we consider a small thing compared with the other qualities 

 named above, combined with strength of back and limb, depth 

 of chest, and breadth of loin and hips, and quality of bone and 

 joints. The dam that is small is not necessarily a breeder of 

 small colts, because we note that size runs more in families. If 

 the mare or horse be of a family that makes large horses, we 

 may more confidently hope for colts of good size from mares 

 of medium size of such family than from large mares that are 

 exceptional in their family. 



The usefulness of the mare is greatly enhanced by her size 

 and strength, and they are inheritable traits that will add much 

 to the value of her offspring. The farmer who will become the 

 owner of large, handsome mares, of good style and action, of 



