BEEEDING.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[breeding. 



CHAPTER VI. 



BREEDING ; BKEAKING-IN ; CASTRATION. 



BREEDING. 

 Having already touched upon this important 

 subject, we shall here more particularly enter 

 into it; for it is unquestionable, that within 

 the last thirty years our horses have under- 

 gone a considerable change. The opinion, 

 among those who may be supposed to be the 

 best capable of forming a correct judgment, 

 is, that there are fewer good hacks and hunters 

 than there were formerly ; and, if such be the 

 case, it must necessarily form one of the first 

 considerations of breeders to endeavour to dis- 

 cover the causes of this deterioration, and to 

 adopt such means as may be the most likely 

 to restore the breed, as well as to improve 

 the character of our horses. Whether con- 

 sidered socially or nationally, this is an object 

 of too much importance to be neglected. 



Our observations will here be of a general 

 nature, and will be very simple. The first 

 axiom we would lay down is, that " like pro- 

 duces like ;" that the progeny will inherit the 

 qualities of its parents. Eeferring to the sub- 

 ject of diseases, we must again state our con- 

 viction, that there is. scarcely one affliction 

 by which either of the parents is afiected, 

 that the foal will not inherit, or, at least, ex- 

 hibit a predisposition to. So certain is this 

 the case, that it may safely be affirmed that 

 even ill usage or hard work, where either has 

 been so excessive as to lay the seeds of disease 

 in the parents, such disease will indubitably be 

 found to descend to their progeny. Undeniable 

 evidence, repeated again and again, has decided 

 the fact, that blindness, roaring, thick wind, 

 broken wind, spavins, curbs, ring-bones, and 

 founder, liave been bequeathed, both by the 

 sire and the dam, to the oftspring. It should 

 likewise be recollected, that although these 

 blemishes may not appear in the immediate 

 progeny, they frequently will in the next gene- 

 ration. Hence the necessity of some know- 

 ledge of the parentage both of sire and dam. 

 Mr. Baker, of Beigate, speaking of hia own 

 138 



experience in this matter, says — " A foal had 

 apparently clear and good eyes ; but the first 

 day had not passed before it was evident that 

 it was totally blind. It had Grutta Serena. 



" Inquiry was then made about the sire, for 

 the mare had good eyes. His were, on the 

 slightest inspection, evidently bad ; and not one 

 of his colts had escaped the direful efi"ects of 

 his imperfect vision. 



" A mare had been the subject of farcical 

 enlargement ; and not being capable of per- 

 forming much work, a foal was procured from 

 her. She survived; but the foal, soon after 

 birth, evinced symptoms of farcy, and died. 



" A mare was lame from navicular disease. 

 A foal was bred from her, that, at five years, 

 could scarcely go across the country, and was 

 so^d for a few pounds. The mare was a rank 

 jib in single harness ; the foal was as bad." 



Peculiarity of form and constitution are also 

 inherited. This is a most important, but ne- 

 glected consideration ; for however desirable 

 or even perfect may have been the conforma- 

 tion of the sire, every good point may be neu- 

 tralised by the defective form, or want of blood, 

 in the mare. There are niceties here, of which 

 some breeders were wont to be aware, and 

 they employed their knowledge to prevent it 

 to great advantage. "When they were careful 

 that the essential points were good in both 

 parents, and that some minor defect in either 

 should be met, and got rid of, by excellence 

 in that particular point in the other, the re- 

 sult was creditable to their judgment, and 

 highly profitable. Other breeders, less skilful, 

 often so badly paired the animals, that the 

 good points of each were, in a manner, lost. 

 The defects of both were increased, and the 

 produce far inferior to both sire and dam. 



Of late years, these principles have been 

 much lost sight of in the breeding of horses for 

 general use ; and the following is the explaua 

 tion of it. There are nearly as good stallions aa 

 there used to be. Eew horses but such as aro 

 well-formed and valuable, will be selected and 



