86 ON BREEDING. 



ON BREEDING. 



The choice of a sire and dam is a point of the utmost 

 consequence in breeding horses, (or indeed any other animal,) 

 as the offspring will be found, in almost every instance, to 

 inherit the qualities of its parents : peculiarity of form and 

 constitution is inherent, and descends from generation to 

 generation. Hence the necessary attention to those niceties 

 which breeders are often apt to forget. Nor is it sufficient 

 that one of the parents be good, and the other indifferent ; 

 for the perfection of the sire may be lost through the defi- 

 ciencies of the mare, and vice versa. 



In the selection of a stallion, many things should be ob- 

 served. There should be general uniformity and compactness 

 in every part. The height should depend on the occupation 

 the foal is destined to fill. The legs should be particularly 

 examined, and disease should pervade no part of the system. 

 Fat, heavy horses, with thick legs, and coarse, unseemly heads, 

 should always be avoided. Horses should be free from specks 

 on the eye — partial or total blindness. Temper is an essen- 

 tial point, for vice is sometimes hereditary. Stallions that 

 cover too many mares in a season, in the latter period produce 

 weak offspring. 



As regards the mare, it is well known that the dam con- 

 tributes more to production of the offspring than the sire. 

 It is essential that she be in full possession of her natural 

 strength and powers : the vigor of the constitution determines 

 much in favor of the foal. It is a great error to suppose, that 

 a mare that has once been good, and capable of great exer- 

 tion, should, when old, and no longer fitted for work, produce 

 offspring equally efficient as when in her prime : the foal will 

 certainly inherit some of the weakness of the present nature 

 and broken-down constitution. Mares should never be put 

 to the stallion until they have arrived at maturity, which 

 takes place about the fifth year. Mares will, and are bred 

 from, earlier, but it is a bad practice, for strength and beauty 



