46 THE PEECHEKON- HORSE. 



erations of preparatory crossings with itself, it will be 

 necessary to commence, in order to attain this end, by 

 close interbreeding. 



We should, at first, commence by exploring the Perche- 

 ron centers devoted exclusively to the rearing of mares, 

 and, in these places, we should particularly visit the local- 

 ities in which they have no great development as to 

 height. Here we would select a group of from fifteen to 

 twenty fillies, the best, the finest limbed, the most com- 

 pact, the fastest trotters, and having for an extreme max- 

 imum the height of lo 1 ^ to 16 hands. 



The same course should be pursued in the regions where 

 the colts are raised, and there choice should be made of 

 some light stallions, approaching, as much as possible, to 

 the mares in form and qualities. 



All the best foals, then, should be in their turn subject- 

 ed to couplings conducted with the same care, and among 

 the third generation would be found types sufficiently con- 

 firmed, either as founders of a race among themselves, or 

 for crossing with the Arab, of which we will speak in the 

 following chapter. 



If a little larger size be required, it would not be neces- 

 sary to have recourse to other types than those which I 

 have just indicated. Well-balanced horses favor every 

 modification. More tonic, substantial nourishment, and 

 more fertile meadows would increase the height and 

 weight, as well as the strength and spirit. 



Do you desire omnibus horses? You can obtain 

 them by selecting in the regions which best produce the 

 post-horse, the strongest types, the heaviest bodied, the 

 most favored as to height, and the fastest trotters. But 

 never yield any of these three points : weight, spirit, and 

 speed. 



The animals the nearest alike in size and form should 

 then be coupled together, after the manner indicated 

 above, and when weight, spirit, and speed, are found with- 



