94 STRUCTURE AND ECONOMY OF THE HORSE. 



clever hack. Superior cobs are very saleable ; and if quick, 

 strong, and handsome, will often realise large prices, being in 

 demand for elderly gentlemen. It is necessaiy that they should 

 be good walkers and trotters: unless, therefore, the mare is 

 good in these paces, we should not breed from her ; nor should 

 we if she shies, as this vice is generally incurable and hereditary. 

 If the mare is a very strong cob, we may put her to a thorough- 

 bred horse, but as compact a one as can be found ; but if the mare 

 is light, we must select a half-bred stallion, but one with plenty 

 of blood, and compact. Some of these cobs are remarkable 

 trotters ; and this quality may be readily produced in the off- 

 spring, by taking care that both sire and dam excel in this pace. 

 Ponies are susceptible of considerable improvement; in the forests 

 where they run wild for several years, a thorough-bred horse 

 would greatly improve the race by infusing more blood into the 

 stock, taking care not to allow very faulty mares to breed. 



In endeavouring to breed superior stock, the chance of realising 

 large prices is such as to compensate for every attention paid to 

 the colt, which should be well fed for several years, and indeed 

 should have a little corn daily, which will increase the size, and 

 produce a greater develojoment of muscle, and tend to prevent 

 the disposition to the growth of the head, which a confinement 

 to scanty pasturage induces. This coarseness about the head is 

 particularly observable in horses and ponies that are bred in the 

 forest, where, from the poorness of the pastui'age, they are obliged 

 to be continually feeding, and the head is consequently kept in 

 a depending position ; the immediate effect of which is the deter- 

 mination of a greater quantity of blood to the head, producing 

 a larger amount of bone and flesh at that part. 



The great superiority of our race horses, and the perfection 

 which, in many respects, they have reached, is owing to sevei'al 

 circumstances, but to none more than to the nutritious diet 

 which they get from their earliest years. The effect of this 

 nutritious feeding is to produce a considerable development of 

 nuiscle, and it must be apparent to every observer how early 

 the thorough-bred horse becomes furnished ; as much so, indeed, 

 at two years old, as a grass- fed horse at four. It is, in my 

 opinion, owing to being thus corn-fed so early, that they are 

 enabled to surpass in speed and bottom the descendants of the 

 parent breed. 



In breeding horses for the turf, the principle kept in view is 

 to put the fastest marc to the fastest horse ; thus it is only the 

 winners of the jxreat stakes that are afterwards used for getting 

 racing stock. This principle is no doubt pretty correct ; only it 

 must be observed, that in selecting the particular horse for 

 a favourite mare, there are other circumstances to be borne 

 in mind, that should often induce us to give the preference to 



