THE HORSE BREEDING. 575 



" When a horse begins a stud career, his owner should abso- 

 lutely withdraw him from the worry and excitement of train- 

 ing. Horses kept for service and trained at the same time will 

 get nervous and excitable stock. But a worse error still is to 

 put a horse into a condition of flesh, like a prize pig, in order to 

 brag of how much he weighs and to keep him, without exercise, 

 in the close confinement of a box-stall, until he becomes moody, 

 morose, and often a savage brute. Many stallions become par- 

 tially insane under the common treatment, and are a pest to 

 their owners, dangerous to their grooms, and beget vicious 

 stock. A stallion should be kept in good health and moderate 

 flesh. His box should be where he can have the company of 

 other horses or in sight of his mares. He should have a pad- 

 dock to run in, or have plenty of cut grass during his season. 

 He should be exercised in double harness or under the saddle, 

 accompanied by other horses, as often as convenient. His exer- 

 cise should be brisk and blood-stirring, with occasional sharp 

 work, so as to get a good sweat. Under such treatment, a stall- 

 lion, unless he is naturally a vicious brute, will be as cheerful 

 and pleasant to keep as any mare is." 



The same principles of handling will demand that draft- 

 stallions be put to gentle work with other horses, when not in 

 the service of the stud. 



The Two Methods. The contrast between the French 

 and American systems of handling stallions is great. The 

 French stallion is taught to labor at two years old. From that 

 on, his labor is sufficient to pay for his keep. lie becomes gen- 

 tle, kind and as safe to work as a gelding. He does not become 

 frantic at the sight of a gelding or mare, or vicious and furious 

 in the presence of another stallion, as do our unworked and 

 over-fed stallions. 



Before old Louis Napoleon left France, when a three-year- 

 old, he was driven by a lady in her carriage. His gentleness 

 and docility combined in such wonderful harmony with his pow- 

 erful action and proud spirit captivated Mr. Charles Fellington, 

 as he rode behind him in a heavy French vehicle at a slashing 

 gait. The colts, stallions, and mares, are handled " by women 



