HOW TO BUY AND SELL A HORSE. 261 



XV. Selecting the Stallion. 



Stonehenge says: — "In choosing the particular blood which will suit 

 any given mare, ray impression always would be, that it is desirable to 

 fix upon the best strain in her pedigree, if not already twice bred 

 in-and-in, and then to put to her the best stallion available of that blood. 

 In some cases, of course, it will happen that the second best strain will 

 answer better, because there happens to be a better iiorse of that blood 

 to be had than of the superior strain, which would otherwise be preferred. 

 If, on the other hand, the mare has already been in-bred to the extent of 

 two degrees, then a cross will be advisable; but I am much inclined to 

 believe, from the success of certain well-known cases, that even then a 

 cross into blood already existing in the mare, but not recently in-bred 

 nor used more than once, will sometimes answer." 



Traits of Sire and Foal. — "The choice of particular stallions, as 

 dependent upon their formation, is not less difficult than that of the 

 mare, and it must be guided by nearly the same principles, except that 

 there is no occasion for any framework especially calculated for nourish- 

 ing and containing the foetus, as in her case. As far as possible the horse 

 should be the counterpart of what is desired in the produce, though 

 sometimes it may be necessary to select an animal of a breed slightly 

 exaggerating the peculiarity which is sought for, especially when that is 

 not connected with a preponderance of fore or hind-quarters. Thus, if 

 the mare is very leggy, a more than usually short-legged horse may be 

 selected, or if her neck is too short or too long, an animal with this organ 

 particularly long, or the reverse, as the case may be, should be sought 

 out. But in all cases it is dangerous to attempt too sudden alteration 

 with regard to size, as the effort will generally end in a colt without a 

 due proportion of parts, and therefore more or less awkward and 

 unwieidly." 



Sound Animals. — "In constitution and general health, the same 

 remarks exactly apply to the horse as the mare. All hereditary diseases 

 are to be avoided as far as possible, though few horses are to be met with 

 entirely free from all kinds of unsoundness, some the effects of severe 

 training, and others resulting from actual disease, occurring from other 

 causes. With regard to fatness, there is an extraordinary desire for 

 horses absolutely loaded with fat, just as there formerly was for over-fed 

 oxen at Christmas. It is quita true that the presence of a moderate 

 quantity of fat is a sign of a good constitution, but, like all other 

 good qualities, it may be carried to excess, so as to produce disease ; and 

 just as there is often hypertrophy, or excess of nourishment of the heart. 

 or any bony parts, so is there often a like superabundance of fat, causing 



