THE HORSE BREEDING. 567 



produce of greater strength, and vigor, and endurance, than 

 that from longer-jointed, longer-backed animals of quicker matu- 

 rity and growth. 



The Stallion. From what has been said of the mare and 

 stallion we see that there is far more to consider than mere size 

 and plumpness in the sire. All men, even the best judges, are 

 likely to be deceived by the liberal feeding and careful groom- 

 ing which the stallions of the country receive. They are kept 

 in so much better condition than the working animals of the 

 farm, that the contrast between them and the laboring horse is 

 like that shown between the city society-man and the fanner 

 enured to daily toil. The former is fitted out for display, and 

 the latter for business. The vigor of the latter excels that of 

 the former as much as does the style and dress of the exquisite 

 excel the plain, much-worn garb of the toiler. Let us not 

 be deceived by what good grooming can do for the man or the 

 horse. A few months of hard work will take the shine all off, 

 and leave only the frame-work and the hardened muscle. If 

 these are uniformly strong and in good proportion, and the ani- 

 mal comes of a family of good breeding, whose ancestors had 

 merit, and a noble spirit and good disposition, the chances 

 are strongly in favor that the produce of such an animal will in- 

 herit so much of the virtue of the sire and his family, as that 

 the foal will be of value. 



Feminine looking Male. There is no surer mark of 

 effeminacy in man or horse than to see one with the delicate bone 

 and head, and light, neat muscle of the female. In selecting 

 the male we are not looking for one with female characteristics. 

 The stallion, the bull, and the boar should be masculine in every 

 marking and fiber. His distinguishing beauty should be the 

 proud spirit and fire, and courage and force of the male. Power 

 and resoluteness should mark him at every point. The sires 

 that have made their impress on their posterity have not been 

 those of the smallest head and muzzle, the delicate and graceful 

 neck, and the best rounded form. Their form and nature were 

 too strong and marked with power to be always smooth and 

 neat at all points. 



