124 THE PERFECT HOESE. 



Another will point you to a dozen horses that have 

 drifted up to the cities from the barn-yards of Maine, 

 or been bought out of string- teams, — as Dutchman the 

 Wonderful was, — about whose pedigree nothing was 

 known, and of some of which nothing is known up to 

 this day, that were able to trot fast, and trot all day, 

 and say, "If that is low blood, then low blood is good 

 enough for me.'' 



Then there is another class, who are neither ignorant 

 nor prejudiced, who doubt the expediency of breeding 

 to running-stock at all, on the ground that the running- 

 gait is so opposite to the trotting-gait, and at the same 

 time so strong and true to itself, that it cannot be over- 

 come in the cross, but will remain dominant in the foal ; 

 and that the breeder will find, that, in breeding in the 

 running-gait, he has bred out the trotting-action. 



To this view I give assent ; and my opinion is based 

 both upon actual trial in my own stables, and upon 

 observation of many other stables. I hold that a 

 thorough-bred mare of running-action will very rarely 

 produce a foal of trotting-action when bred to a trotting- 

 stallion, or vice versa. I hold that two styles of going, 

 so unlike, cannot harmonize. Like two hostile cur- 

 rents, they fight each other, and come to a stand-still. 

 The colt is neither a trotter nor a runner. He is an 

 excellent, stylish roadster and saddle-horse; and that is 

 all. He is a good horse for many purposes, but not 

 such a horse as the breeder desired and expected. This, 

 I say, is my opinion. I thrust it offensively upon no 

 one ; but I hold to it. 



