BREEDS OF HORSES 23 



of the other mate. This might sometimes happen, however, if the 

 animal possessing the good points would transmit its own character- 

 istics with greater certainty, and therefore become prepotent, than 

 the animal possessing the undesirable points. The true principle of 

 successful breeding is to mate two animals that are each as nearly 

 perfect as possible. Faults in one animal are not to be offset by choos- 

 ing the mate that is abnormally developed in the contrary direction. 

 By mating with an animal perfect in the point where the other is 

 imperfect, there would be greater likelihood of success. For ex- 

 ample, if the mares in a particular stud are lacking in size and qual- 

 ity of hoofs, the proper way to correct the fault is to persistently breed 

 to sires that have perfect hoofs, and not to use sires that have ab- 

 normally large hoofs. It is for each breeder to decide what he de- 

 sires to breed, after this he should select mares as nearly like his ideal 

 as circumstances will permit, and then mate them persistently with 

 the sires of like type and known pure blood. As the female progeny 

 shall come to the age at which they may be bred, they should in turn 

 be bred in a similar manner, as that just described, selected pure 

 bred sires in all cases should be used. The first progeny is called 

 one-half blood ; the half-blood when bred to the pure Wood sire pro- 

 duces three-quarter blood; and with each successive generation the 

 probability of securing progeny that resembles that pure bred sire is 

 increased. If we consider but a moment the fact that whenever we 

 trace back the complete pedigree of any animal for ten generations 

 we have encountered over two thousand ancestors, we sometimes 

 wonder that so good results are secured. With this brief reflection 

 we cannot fail to be impressed with the importance of selecting ani- 

 mals so far as possible, particularly the sires, that have been bred true 

 to type for many generations. In the successful breeding of horses, 

 as in other classes of live stock, there is but one course to be recom- 

 mended. Choose well the breed that you will select and then persist 

 in using nothing but pure bred sires of the type which has been de- 

 cided upon. 



Importance of Soundness. It is of great importance that the 

 mare should be free from all forms of unsoundness or diseases that 

 are hereditary, transmissible, or communicable to the offspring. 

 It is also of great importance that the mares should be sound, and 

 not until both mares and stallions used for breeding purposes are 

 free from unsoundness can we hope with any degree of certainty to 

 raise the average excellence of the horse product of the country to 

 the highest plane possible. An error is sometimes made by breeders 

 in breeding from mares with bony diseases, as spavins, ring bones, 

 etc., thinking that no danger can come from such mating as these 

 diseases are not inherited. The error, however, lies in the fact that 

 the weakness in the parent which causes this bony disease to appear 

 is likely to be transmitted in the off-spring; although the diseases 

 themselves are not transmitted. It sometimes happens that a mare 

 may be maimed and incapacitated for work through accident and 

 still be as valuable for breeding purposes as though the accident had 

 not occurred. So on general principles it may be stated that blem- 



