Peixciples of Horse Breeding 17 



study of the conditions likely to produce the ailment, and care- 

 fully avoid them. 



SOUNDNESS 



Both sire and dam should be free from all forms of unsound- 

 ness and disease that is hereditary, transmittable, or communi- 

 cable to the oifspring. AVhile absolutely perfect animals can 

 rarely, if ever, be found, and few horse breeders can afford to 

 reject breeding stock for some unimportant defect ; yet, not until 

 both mare and stallion are free from unsoundness can we hope to 

 raise the excellency of our horses to the degree possible as the 

 result of intelligent breeding. Many persons have fallen into the 

 grievous way of considering any broken-down, halt, maimed, 

 blind, or otherwise unsound mare tit for breeding purposes when 

 no longer able to work. It is certainly poor policy to knowingly 

 use unsound breeding animals and thus promote unsoundness in 

 the offspring. 



BREEDING YOUNG FILLIES 



Among horse breeders there is much difference of opinion as 

 to the advisability of breeding the two-year-old tilly. It would 

 seem that this practice would depend upon at least three factors, 

 namely, the breed, the individual, and the object sought. As a 

 rule draft-bred mares mature younger than those of the lighter 

 type. Draft fillies at two years of age are often as mature as 

 a light-bred filly at three years of age. Individual mares differ 

 in the way they mature ; a smoothly turned, neat and well-fin- 

 ished one matures much younger than a rough, coarse and growthy 

 individual. 



Since the feed and care influence the maturing, the filly that 

 is kept growing continuously from birth will mature earlier than 

 one imperfectly cared for and which receives a set-back each 

 winter. 



FinaDy, if breeding pure-bred animals and the object sought 

 is to improve the strain, the advisability of breeding the two-year- 

 old filly would be questionable. From this it would seem that if 

 one desires to produce draft horses for market, there is no reason 

 why fillies cannot be bred at two years of age if they are well 

 grown and mature, and the owner is willing to feed and care for 

 them properly during their pregnancy. 



