THE CONDITION OF A STALLION. 47 



into beauty and fragrance ; the cat may be made to pre- 

 sent all the rich colours of the tortoise-shell, and the 

 pigeon may be ' bred to a feather.' " 



Le." us now endeavour to deduce a useful, practical 

 conclusion from the foregoing arguments. If our doc- 

 trine be correct, the horse-breeder will depend upon the 

 condition of the stallion, in order to the producing of 

 valuable stock from him, as well as upon his other qual- 

 ities of pedigree, speed, action, bottom, wind, temper, 

 spirit, form, style, size, colour, &c. 



The next practical question is, how this condition is 

 to be attained, and how the animal is to be kept at the 

 required standard in this respect. The requisite condition 

 is only to be attained by training for health and strength 

 in a great measure according to the system of training 

 for races : supplying an abundant nourishment of the 

 best quality, allowing sufficient periods of repose for di- 

 gestion, and giving regular and strong exercise, the 

 whole with such variations as only experience and close 

 observation, under constant practice, can dictate. 



The aptitude of an animal to benefit by training is 

 often inherited, like other qualities, from its parentage; 

 and judicious breeding alone can insure a continuance 

 of the desirable quality, or create a propensity for it by 

 proper crossing, when it does not exist in the parents. 



The age at which the horse is best adapted to under- 

 go a course of training, is just at the close of his most 

 rapid period of growth, while the system is in its great- 

 est freshness and vigour. This period is at abo'J)C five 

 years old. The powers of a horse will augment by suit- 

 able treatment in this respect until about the age of nine 

 years: and, in order to obtaining the most valuable 

 stock, a stallion should not be put to service before at- 

 taining a full de^ elopment of his powers, nor kept at it 

 after his form or energies appear to be affected for the 



40* 



