220 THE HORSE. 



is affected, that the foal will not inherit, or, at least, the predisposition to 

 it: even the conseqnences of ill usance or hard work will descend to the 

 progeny. We have already enlarged on this, but its importance will be a 

 sufficient apology for the repetition. We have had proof upon proof, that 

 blindness, roaring, thick wind, broken wind, spavins, curbs, ringbones, 

 and founder, have been bequeathed, both by the sire and the dam, to the 

 offspring. It should likewise be recollected, that although these blemishes 

 may not appear in the immediate progeny, they frequently will in the next 

 generation. Hence the necessity of some knowledge of the parentage 

 both of the sire and dam. 



Peculiarity of form and constitution will also be inherited. This is a 

 most important, but neglected consideration ; for however desirable, or 

 even perfect, may have been the conformation of the sire, every good point 

 may be neutralized or lost by the defective form, or want of blood, of the 

 mare. There are niceties in this, of which some breeders used to be aware, 

 and they employed their knowledge to great advantage. When they were 

 careful that the essential points should be good in both parents, and that 

 some minor defect in either should be met, and got rid of, by excellence in 

 that particular point in the other, the result was creditable to their judg- 

 ment, and highly profitable. The unskilful or careless breeder will often 

 so badly pair the animals, that the good points of each will be, in a 

 manner, lost : the defects of both will be increased, and the produce will 

 be far inferior to both sire and dam. 



Of late years, these principles have been much lost sight of in the breed- 

 ing of horses for general use ; and the following is the explanation of it. 

 There are nearly as good stallions as there used to be. Few but well- 

 formed and valuable horses will be selected and retained as stallions. They 

 are always the very prime of the breed ; but the mares are not what they 

 used to be. Poverty has induced many of the breeders to part with the 

 mares from which they used to raise their stock, and which were worth 

 their weight in gold ; and the jade on which the farmer now rides to 

 market, or which he uses in his farm, costs him but little money, and is 

 only retained because he could not get much money for her. It has like- 

 wise become the fashion for gentlemen to ride mares, almost as frequently 

 as geldings ; and thus the better kind are taken from the breeding service, 

 until old age or injury renders them worth little for it. An intelligent 

 veterinary surgeon, Mr. Castley, has placed this in a very strong hght, in 

 the third volume of the " Veterinarian," p. 371. 



We would wish, then, to impress it on the minds of breeders, that pecu- 

 liarity of form and constitution are inherited from both parents ; that the 

 excellence of the mare is a point of quite as much importance as that of 

 the horse ; and that out of a sorry mare, let the horse be as perfect as he 

 may, a good foal will rarely be produced. All this is recognised upon the 

 turf, altho\igh poverty or carelessness have made the general breeder 

 neglect or forget it. 



It is recognised in the midland counties in the breed of cart-horses ; and 

 the strict attention which has been paid to it, has brought our heavy horses 

 to almost the same perfection in their way as the blood-horse. It is strange 

 that in our saddle-horses, our hunters, and, to a great degree, our 

 carriage-horses, this should be left to chance. The breeder begins to c^re 

 little about the quality of the mare, and the progeny is becoming com- 

 paratively of little worth. Experience, it is said, will make fools wise, 

 but experience will here be bought at a very dear rate, both as it regards 

 the breeder and the community. 



That the constitution and endurance of the horse are inherited, no 



