HOKSK SENSE. 6 



attention to this, as well a^ to tlic merits of the individual, we will be 

 making but little headway in inii>r()\ inj; any of our breeding stock. 



"Biology treats of living matter, and the study of living tissue. It 

 has to do with the origin, structure, development, function and dis- 

 tribution of animals — the science of life in its widest acceptation — scien- 

 tific inquiries into the first origin of life and the changes it has under- 

 gone from the earliest traceable neriod until now;" consequently the 

 importance of the breeder knowing just what he is doing. 



AN IDEAL PRODUCTION .SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND. 



The breeder should luive ;i definite object in view. He should have 

 an ideal production in his mind, and every move he makes should con- 

 form to that object ami the law of reproduction. To breed horses suc- 

 cessfully, we must bring applied science (common sense) to our aid and 

 direction. When the laws of horse breeding are fully understood, we 

 will have fewer "offs" than we now have perfections; it will be just as 

 easy to distinguish the difTerent breeds of horses as it is now the several 

 types of cattle — as the Shorthorn, Devon, Holstein or Jersey. 



MENTAL AS WELL AS PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS MUST 

 BE MAINTAINED. 



There is this difference between horse and cattle breeding: The 

 horse, in addition to his physical constitution, has a mental organiza- 

 tion that must be studied and maintained in relation to his education 

 and duties. I' is much easier to improve the bodily defects than those 

 of the mental characteristics. 



The foundation rock upon which to build a permanent improvement 

 in horse breeding must be based on soundness in all breeding animals, 

 both near and remote, for the strong reason, that all defects or unsound- 

 ness are just ab transmissible as the meritorious qualities. 



DEFECTS AND WEAKNESS ARE TRANSMITTED TO THE 

 OFFSPRING. 



At breeding time the sire and dam should be most scrutinizingly ex- 

 amined for defects, conformation, size, style, color, gait, coat, skin, 

 mane and tail, character of feet and legs, muscular power, digestive ca- 

 pacity, stam.ina and intelligence. Each and every part should be care- 

 fully weighed, and if not foimd to be well adapted to each other, then 

 look further for breeders, as it will not pay to produce undesirable, un- 

 salable, good-for-nothing animals. The weak places or parts should 

 be strengthened, rather than to try to make the strong ones stronger. 

 Weakness of a similar character in both sire and dam is almost sure to 

 be still weaker in the ofifspring. 



SELECT A SPECIAL TYPE AND STAY WITH THAT TYPE. 



Now, to sum the whole matter up in a "nutshell:" Select the type 

 of horses desired, and then choose the strongest of the type, all things 

 considered, and confine your operations to the type decided on. If it 

 is runners, take the best of the thcroughbreds, and stay by them. If 



