178 BREEDING TO SELL. 



himself, for his stock will sell, and probably pay him. 

 If the blood does not please the public, that is, is not 

 fashionable blood, the produce will sell also but at 

 about ten pounds a head as yearlings. I don't think it 

 very probable these will pay him. Breeders, like other 

 men, have their predilection for certain blood, and 

 fancy this sire or that ; but a man must indulge in 

 no fancies who breeds to sell : it does not matter 

 what he likes or does not like, it is what others like 

 that must guide him. 



A friend of mine asked my advice some time since 

 as to the best sire to put a mare of his to. I knew 

 her well : she was in fact once mine. I mentioned a 

 sire ; he asked if I liked the horse ? I said what is 

 the truth that I hated him. "Did I then think he 

 was likely to get a good runner with the mare?" I 

 very candidly allowed I considered it all but impossible, 

 knowing the mare as I did. He of course asked my 

 reason for recommending a horse I disliked, and 

 moreover did not think would* suit the mare ? 1 replied 

 in very few words : " I dislike the horse, and always 

 did : but the public like him : he is fashionable, and 

 that is enough. I know he is the last horse in the 

 world to suit the mare as to the probability of a run- 

 ner; but the public do not know this. It is only 

 particular circumstances that make him so bad a horse 

 for her ; for as regards the blood on both sides, there 

 could not be a better mixture than the two. The 

 public know this, and your object is to sell, not run, 

 and the produce will sell, bred as it will be." 



The man who breeds to both run and sell has 

 more to consider than either of the former, for he 

 must not only try to get good ones, but fashionable 

 good ones. What I should call a fair good horse, 



