268 THE STUD BOOK. 



weeded Ijy dropping those that fail in actual performance, and 

 both dams and sires, chosen from those that best endure the test 

 of the severest strain on their health, vigour, and physical 

 power. 



PEDIGEEES. 



652. — There is no more common fraud than the manufacture 

 of fictitious pedigrees. Those in the English stud book have 

 many safeguards, and are, no doubt, generally correct, but not 

 necessarily so. It may suit a dishonest owner to take a good deal 

 of trouble to exchange a foal so as to have the good pedigree 

 attached to an inferior animal that he can sell, and to have the 

 high qualities of a probable winner unsuspected. It is even 

 possible for an owner himself to be mistaken, as will be seen from 

 the following fact. 



653. — One morning we found that two of our mares had 

 foaled in the night in a large paddock. One- of them was a heavy 

 cart mare, and the other a light pony. On going up to them we 

 found the cart mare suckling the pony's foal, and the pony 

 standing guard over an enormous cart foal. We tried to put 

 matters right, but our interference was indignantly resented. 

 Both mares insisted upon the accuracy of their own selection, 

 and that so tenaciously, that when we shut them up separately 

 with their own foals, the pony would never take to hers, and it 

 had to be brought up by hand. Now, if these two mares had 

 been more alike, the mistake would never have been discovered 

 and we should have been as positive as any one else as to the 

 accuracy of our pedigrees. 



COUNTERACTIONS. 



654. — Any defect in one parent should be counteracted by 

 great perfection in the other. If both parents have the same 

 defect it is not only certain to appear in their oifspring, but will, 

 most likely, be much exaggerated. In nine cases out of ten it 

 Avould be better not to breed at all than to accept any serious 

 defect in either parent. Absolutely, perfect form cannot of 

 course be got, but get as near to it as possible, and at any rate 



