ox BREEDING HORSES ... .VALUE OF THE BRED HORSE. 



( BY A MAX OF EXPERIENCE. 



OcTOBEs 20tk iS45. 

 J. S. Skin?iT:b, Esq. 



Dear Sir: — Absence fitim home, and press- 

 ins business, have for some time prevented me 

 from making' a few crude remarks on your 

 '• Dissertation on Horse Brezdixg, and on the 

 TROTTiyo Horse of the United States," in the 

 August number of the Farmers" Library ; con- 

 siderina- it decidedly the best article on that sub- 

 ject I have ever read, condensing much valua- 

 ble information, drawn from the experience of 

 the past ; not only to the amateur of horses, but 

 to breeders, a fund of information, which may 

 correct many errors, and be a guide and valua- 

 ble •■ text book ■■ to refer to in judiciously breed- 

 ing a most useful and profitable stock. Your 

 Dissertation should be read over antf^ver. and 

 carefolly reflected on, as it is Nvell calculated to 

 do a'way deep-rooted prejudices aeainst Blood 

 Horses, showing most conclusively that judi- 

 cious crossing from them has in times past, and 

 must for all time to come, continue to be the 

 most profitable to the Breeders of that noble 

 animal. And here let me remark that your •■ Li- 

 brary." so well calculated to disseminate useful 

 knowledge to the Agriculturist and Breeders of 

 Stock, should be extensively patronized, and 

 found in every Family Library. Having for 

 30 years past had some experience in breeding 

 of horses of various crosses, from the Blood 

 Horse down to the " Xonnan or French." expe- 

 rience has taught me the value of the trite say- 

 ing. '• that nothing but the thorough-bred does 

 it quite well." I admit, ho^veve^. that about 

 three-fourth bred answers for most purposes for 

 the road, the farm, &.c. ; and in endeavoring to 

 appreciate his great value to our common coun- 

 "•y. for a variety of purposes, not only for indi- 



.lal comfort, in conveying us where "steam- 

 boats and railroads cannot and will not take 

 us :" also on our farms in Agricultural pursuits. 

 the healdiy and enlivening scenes of the chase — 

 the course — and not least, in a national point of 

 view, for Cavalry use, it is not easy to overrate 

 their value ; for an army with a weak or ineffi- 

 cient Cavalry, is like a "body without a soul." 

 That Blood will tell, is just as sure as rvvo and 

 two make four : and here, Mr. Editor, let me re- 

 mind you of an incident of the " Battle of Wa- 

 terloo."' where Bonaparte, in making his last 

 tremendous struggle to retain the Croicn of 

 France, experienced and ruinously felt the sreat 



(con 



superiority of Blood Horses, on which the Eng- 

 lish Cavalry were motmted. The battle raged, 

 and victory, doubtful, seemed suspended be- 

 tween th»rwo great contending armies ; a: this 

 critical moment, the English (Cavalry mounted 

 on high bred horses.) made their destructive 

 charge, which resulted in the complete over- 

 throw of the French, man and horse, the flower 

 of his army ; and the victors of an hundred bat- 

 tles were seen rolling in the dust, hteraHy rode 

 down. "Bonaparte at a gmnl] distance, on an 

 eminence with his spy-glas. seeing the flower 

 of his army, hitherto victorious, in aswnv ex- 

 claimed. ■ See those horsemen, thofe terrible 

 horses !' " Mark the expression. - those terri- 

 ble horses ! "' And what was the lesson learned 

 on this memorable occasion ? Did not the " Al- 

 lied Powers."" France. Russia. Prussia, Austria, 

 German States, Beigium, &c. &c. seeing- the 

 vast superiority of the bred horse, immediately 

 establish Breeding Studs, in a national point of 

 view : and have been purchasin?. at very great 

 prices, from year to year, of England, where the 

 Blood Horse has been kept pure tor centuries 

 past : to them a strong arm of defence, of wealth 

 and of pleasure ? And shall the people of the 

 United States close their eyes to all the lights 

 and evidence afforded by the experience of the 

 past in the improvement of the breed of horses ! 

 Continue to breed from cold-blooded horses, and 

 add to the number of thousands of worthless, im- 

 pure, and basely adulterated horses, of no dis- 

 tinctive breed — " it is rmwise and unprofitable."' 

 In your remarks on Trotting Horses, several 

 important queries to my mind are well estab- 

 lished — 1st. That generally a great performer has 

 high strains, and traces directly to the ■ Blood 

 Horse :"" and here let me ask. -where can we so 

 for speed, bottom, and long continued endurance, 

 but to the Blood Horse ? " and eclio answers, 

 W here ?"' The great secret in breeding, is judi- 

 cious crossing: which should be three-fbnnh 

 bred from strong, powerful thoroughbreds, like 

 old Messenger or some of his valuable descend- 

 ants, for roadsters, which can measure off their 

 ten miles per hour ; this I consider amons the 

 most valuable for common purposes: and mv 

 ■v\"ord for it the trotting gentry will select more 

 flyers from this than any other cross. Deliver 

 me fi?om the cross of the " French" or Canadian, 

 or Norman breed ; I have tried them to mv sor- 

 ro%v and disadvantag^e. and promise to do so no 



