THE CONDITION OF A STALLION. 41 



AN ESSAY ON THE CONDITION OF A STALLION 



The word condition is used by horsemen in a different 

 sense from that in which it is understood as applied to 

 cattle by the mass of farmers. By condition the farmer 

 often means a high state of fatness ; the horseman, on 

 the contrary, makes use of the word to indicate the 

 greatest health and strength produced by reducing all 

 superfluous fat, bringing the mere flesh into clean, hard 

 and powerful muscle, and invigorating the lungs and 

 other internal organs, so that they may promptly discharge 

 their respective functions, and suffer no damage from 

 uncommon stress — the whole in order to the animal's 

 performing labours and sustaining a continuance of action 

 to which he w^ould not be adequate without such especial 

 preparation. 



By the Condition of a Stallion is meant the state of 

 the system in which the male horse should be kept, in 

 order to deriving from him the greatest excellence in the 

 progeny. 



Too many persons are content to breed their mares to 

 a horse w^hose figure suits them, without regard to his 

 condition. The mention of one prominent instance alone 

 will be sufficient to show that good condition is essential 

 to the production of a valuable progeny. A remarkable 

 case occurred in England some years since, in so high 

 a quarter as to attract public attention, and consequently 

 th3 fact of the account's obtaining currency without con- 

 tradiction is a fair evidence of its correctness. The 

 Prince of Wales, who afterwards became George the 

 Fourth, owned, and was in the habit of riding as a hun- 

 ter, an entire horse of unequalled excellence. In conse- 

 quence of this horse's superior qualities, His Royal 

 Highness caused a few of his own mares to be bred to 



