BREEDING. 283 



those of a racer or park horse. His height will not be of 

 much consequence, provided that the mare be of suitable size, 

 but his general form ought to be most carefully weighed 

 A good sound constitution on the part of both mare and sire 

 will be of the utmost importance in breeding, and for this 

 reason I prefer young strong mares for stud purposes. 



It is with many a very vexed question whether or not a 

 filly is improved by having a foal. I maintain, even against 

 much contradiction, that she decidedly is; and I have met 

 with a good many sound judges who have agreed with me, 

 while on the other hand some old-fashioned horse-fanciers 

 have told me that they would not have anything whatever 

 to say to a " widow." I believe that the system of keeping 

 a flock of idle brood mares has contributed largely towards 

 the impoverishing of many a promising horse-breeding com- 

 pany, and a few who have had the sense to see the folly of 

 such a course have bred with much advantage from fillies, 

 without ever suffering a particle of loss by it. A young 

 robust three-year-old— one that has been " gentled " and 

 taught to jump in long reins without being ridden — will 

 prove a capital speculation as a matron, and will at four 

 have produced a foal which need not detain her from her 

 training beyond the weaning time. 



Wealthy horse-owners, who wish to go in for breeding 

 racers, ought to keep their best and most promising foals 

 entirely for breeding purposes : and I believe that such a 

 speculation would answer admirably as a means of making 

 money, and would in time astonish the world of the turf 

 with a show of youngsters that would bid fair to sweep the 



