1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



721 



but fimily stoutness and gefntleness at work, and i condition a litll«! improved. Tiie male should not 

 with a scrutinizing eye lo iheir hoofs and pasterns, probably be worked, but jileniy ol' exercise slioulil 



Brittle horn, ifuinmy ankles, or tendency to grease 

 in the heels should be an insurmountable objection 

 to a hor.se, however pcrlect in other respects. We 

 would of course have to clioose the temper of the 

 Barbs and Turks, though a man thoroughly con- 

 versant wiih horses can from certain indications 

 form a toleral:)ly correct estimate oCtlieir tempers. 

 A person but, moderaiely acquainied would tie 

 able to know that Belshazzar was (juiet, and that 

 St. Giles was " queer." The mares lo be selected, 

 should be well bred, of bay or brown color and a 

 few grays. They should have lonir heads, wide 

 between the ej'es, and jaws vvell displayed, with 

 clear placed eyes, and open foreheads, wiih poin- 

 ted, well set ears, and fine muzzles and nusinis; 

 necks ei'moderate length and muscular, with large 

 detached windpipes; having quarters belbre and 

 behind with plenty of muscle; large bodies with 

 large ribs, and the short ribs close to the hips; 

 standing even and rather wide on legs abounding 

 in bone and sinew, and terminated by tough black 

 hoofs. A white pastern and hoof is about as 

 liable to disease as those of black or dark chesnut 

 color. The stallions should be of similar shape, 

 but more coarseness is tolerable in them, particu- 

 larly about the neck. The mares above described 

 of 15 1-2 hands high or upwards should be put 

 to the Barb and Turk; those under, lo the Cleave- 

 land bay. Those three crosses in the general 

 would produce slock of sufficient size. The best 

 of the colts should be kept lor stallions. When a 

 filly was deficient in size she should be put to the 

 dray horse. The crossing and the result of each 

 cross should be regularly recorded. If of very de- 

 fective (iirm she should not be permitied to breed, 

 or be put to a jack. If the mule inherited the de- 

 fect, it would not be perpetuated. And all the 

 blind fillies, and those havini^deliiciive eves, should 

 be put to a jack, lijr a band mule would be a 

 curiosity. A colt thus bred might be kept as a 

 coverer at about ^10 the price of the season of 

 one mare. And where the blood had been diluted 



be given him regularly, and his powers t^huuld 

 never be overtaxed. The loals, lur ilie best, shuuld 

 be dropped when tiie grasses are jjleniy to increase 

 the flow of milk, or, i/'the mares aie to be vvoiked 

 alier li)aling, generous iood should be uiven ihern 

 in sufficient (juantilies. '1 he young uiil learn to 

 eat at three or lour months old, and may l»e wean- 

 ed at five or six. They should be sbeliered from 

 the inclemencies of winter, and led to keep them 

 straight and growing, without being Ibrced to pre- 

 cocious maturity, as is done in England, in the 

 racing studs. The object of the fHciiig system is lo 

 aliain size and strength to enable them lo coo:eiid 

 in "iheirS year old Ibrm"' li)r the high prizes, 

 Tiie Derby, the Oaks and Si. Leger slakes have 

 attraciions lor breeders and sportsmen ; and are 

 annually won, not always by the besi colls and 

 fillies, but are annually the means of deeiroyini;, 

 or greatly impairing the value of many good ones. 

 Nature would indicate that a horse should have 

 attained lull age belbre he is put lo his utmost ex- 

 ertions. Foals should be genlled immediately af- 

 ter their birth, and they rarely, perhaps never Ibr- 

 get it. Yearlings also shouid be kept growing 

 uniformly in winter as in summer, and at 2 yeara 

 old should be halier broke, and used moderately 

 at three, increased in work at 4 ; and a filly at 6, 

 will do ILill work, l»ut a uelding not before six, per- 

 haps 7. Very often, however, they are broke 

 down before they are aged by improper manaije- 

 [uent, and thereby several of the most valuable 

 years ol' their lives are lost or rendered nearly use- 

 less. 



A few objections may be answered to enable us 

 to come to a close. It is said that the skins of the 

 well breds are fine, and liable to chalij and gall. 

 The gear should be made lo fi , be of good quality, 

 aiu' kept soft and pliant. It is objected against 

 the breds, that ihey are bad tempered, and restive, 

 and unmanageable. The objection applies not 

 generally but to a part, and a small part only. 

 The finest, and the best tempered, and altoselher 



by the blood of the dr.iy, at S7 50 or perhaps ^5, the best carriage horse 1 ever saw, was a Pacolet 



which should be the minimum price. Am I asked 

 why the expense of importing a Barb and Turk 

 should be incurred? It is answered, the Byerley 

 Turk and the Curwen Bay Barb got a colt and filly, 

 ihe sire and dam of Partner, one of the best horses 

 ever bred. He, got Tartar, a capital one. He got 

 Herod, the lasting properties of whose stock have 

 probably never been equalled. He got HitHiflyer, 

 who had no parallel in his day. He got Sir Peter, a 

 good racer, and, as a stallion, without a parallel in 

 his day. He transmitted his excellence to Haphaz- 

 ard ; and he to Philho-du-pula ; and he got Birm- 

 ingham, who, but for the inroads made on his 

 constituiion liy bad management, might have 

 perpetuated the li\raily stoutness. Perhaps it may 

 be (lone i)y Philip, who came of Treasurer, a 

 daujjhterof Camillas, "whose stock were particu- 

 larly neat and of great strenfrih lor their size." 



Havinij chosen ihe right sort, to cross, and there- 

 by brinj on a nevv variety, the mode of raising 

 them may be described in a short compass. The 

 mares and horses should be in uood health and 



out of a Spread Eagle. And as to the restive, be- 

 gin with them young and learn them obedience 

 by times, and keep them obedient. If they are 

 suffered to run wild till lour or five years old, you 

 should expect trouble, unless you employ a " whis- 

 perer." i had a filly whose sire had a decidedly 

 liad temper, and her dam's sire was equally vicious. 

 She was worked tolerably well at three years old, 

 but was injured so much by another team that 

 she was turned out for the season, and the next 

 year refused. She bred me a filly, sold for the 

 saddle, and a colt, that works kindly, belbre I sold 

 her, and a better roadster than her is rarely to be 

 seen. I had two fillies lull bred. The one was 

 pill to work at three years old and worked kindly. 

 The other was a splcnditi creature, ihat I used 

 under ihe saddle ; but on one occasion and with- 

 out requiring her work, but rather to see whether 

 she would work, I put her to the ploufirh. As she 

 did not like it. and iearingshe might i)e injured, 1 

 ordered her to be stopped. I have latterly worked a 

 ijll bred of the same liimily; and another ihorough- 



condition, when put together. ,During the period bred in the wagon, merely to see that they would 

 of gestation the work to be done by the (esnale [ work, and they are now both valuable brood mares, 

 should be moderate, and as she approaches the time j the thorough-bred a pplendid mare, and has a 

 ofdelivery, the work phouid be suspended and her > splendid fillv. Wm. Williams. 



Vol. VH-91 



