104 THE PERFECT HORSE. 



although I cannot philosophically account for my pref- 

 erence, — yet practically^ I say, we know that it is far 

 better to have a high, fine organization in the sire, and 

 let the low organization, if it must exist in either parent, 

 be on the side of the dam. The fact is, both parents 

 should be highly organized ; and any thing short of this 

 introduces uncertainty as to what the result of the ex- 

 periment Avill be. The only infallible rule — the best 

 statement ever given touching the reproduction of any 

 form of life — was published by God himself in his 

 inspired word, when he said, '' Let the earth bring 

 forth the living creature after Ms IdndP This, never- 

 theless, must be observed, — that the power to bring 

 forth after Ms hind — if hy Ms kind we mean personal 

 resemblances rather than generic attributes — does not 

 belong to the horse as a race, but to the horse as an indi- 

 vidual ; for, as we have already pointed out in the case 

 of Justin Morgan, this faculty of reproducing excel- 

 lences is individual, and not general. And so we 

 come back to the same observation previously made in 

 regard to what constituted a valuable stock-horse, — viz., 

 that the best horse is he, who, being good in himself, 

 most surely and closely reproduces himself in his off- 

 spring ; and to this formula should now be added the 

 words, lolien bred to the mares of the greatest variety of 

 form and temperament. Let us, then, turn our atten- 

 tion to the consideration and enumeration of those 

 attributes, which, being possessed, render a horse unfit 

 for stock-purposes. The first we have already men- 



