THE BREEDS. 151 



to the breed as a whole first of all, then to such 

 selected representatives as we call show stock. 

 When the latter do not present an adequate 

 amount of homologous character, so much the 

 worse. A breed must be judged in its entirety, 

 not by a few fine specimens which may rise in 

 sparkling fashion over the dead mediocrity of 

 the great mass. The touch of the masterhand 

 is in evidence always, but it not infrequently 

 happens that the best horse in a ring does not 

 really typify the breed to which he is alleged to 

 belong. 



At the risk of being called tedious I desire to 

 emphasize the fact that it is the sum of the 

 homologous characters which constitutes breed 

 type and the animal which embodies in itself the 

 most of these characters in their highest estate 

 is the animal which must be adjudged the best 

 according to the standard of the breed involved. 

 It is along these broad lines that the various 

 breeds are described in future chapters. 



Stud book (registration and maintenance of 

 breed purity must always go hand in hand. 

 Errors of omission and commission will creep 

 into stud books and in itself registration is 

 worth little unless it certifies to a line of descent 

 from ancestors of high class, but it may be 

 accepted without question that in this modern 

 age it would be impossible to maintain the 

 purity of any breed without a well managed 

 stud book. Popularly too much weight is ac- 



