HORSES. 267 



and necessities of the breeder. The different breeds will con- 

 tribute, each in its particular line and class, to impress upon the 

 foal the peculiarities, beauties, and deformities of that particular 

 class. The Black Hawk will give grace, symmetry and tract- 

 ability. The Morgan is a more compact specimen, with good 

 proportions, and great enduring powers. 



What we farmers of Middlesex want and need is, the 

 combination of as many of the good qualities as one hide can 

 cover. We need a fair roadster, enduring and quiet ; a good 

 cart, plough, and general worker, " tractable and tough ;" a 

 family horse for mother and the boys to drive, kind and willing, 

 with good action, for we can keep but one horse, or at tlie most 

 a pair. We must cast a judicious eye at both sire and dam, that 

 by a well balanced admixture of the good parts, or a reasonable 

 offsetting of the inferior, the foal may present a specimen of a 

 well proportioned, excellent animal, in all respects. Should we 

 possess a rather coarse limbed mare, and other parts proportioned, 

 in all probability we would get a fine foal from a beautiful 

 limbed symmetrical Black Hawk, and vice versa. And in this 

 connection, we would respectfully suggest to those who may 

 make up the class of stallions for premiums, that a covering 

 stallion should be five years and upwards, for general use. 



Now we have the foal, how shall we treat him ? We have a 

 fair representation of a horse of good qualities and disposition 

 in embryo. How shall we enhance and mature these qualities 

 to usefulness, and this disposition to service ? From four to six 

 months' good suck from the mare, is an excellent early diet, 

 provided that the mare has a generous milk-giving sustenance 

 herself and is a milker. Then the foal should have a good keep 

 of rowen, with some milk, say one quart per day, through the 

 first winter, then good summer pasture, and carrots and hay for 

 winter feed. Colts never should be pampered, nor starved, 

 frozen, nor made to be the receptacles of vermin. In breaking 

 and training, the first lesson should be, gentle familiarity ; the 

 second lesson should be constant and familiar gentleness ; the 

 third lesson should be unceasing patience and enduring kind- 

 ness, with decision. He who has not " Job's patience under 

 afflictions," should not attempt to handle, to break, or train a 

 colt, any more than he or she should attempt to teach a child, 

 without the same absolutely necessary qualifications. Patience 



