MODERN FARRIER. 171 



It is particularly wrong to make disproportioned 

 copulations, as of a small horse with a large mare, 

 or a large horse with a small mare, as the produce 

 of such copulations would be small or badly propor- 

 tioned. It is by gentle gradations that we must 

 endeavour to arrive at natural beauty. 



It is generally supposed, that as improvements in 

 breeding originated by intermixing the native with 

 foreign horses, continuing to breed from the same 

 line would degenerate the stock. This idea, however, 

 is perhaps as fallacious, when applied to the breed- 

 ing of horses, as it has been found to be in the 

 breeding of cattle and other quadrupeds. Breeding 

 in-and-in, as it is called, when the animals are per- 

 fect, is, the writer conceives, a sure way of procuring 

 improvement. 



100. Colour of Horses. 



There is an old adage, that * a good horse cannot 

 be of a bad colour;' but many experienced judges 

 are of opinion, that not only the beauty, but the 

 disposition of the animal is connected with the co- 

 lour. The following are Mr. Gibson's ideas on the 

 subject. 



101. The Bays. 



The bays are probably so called from their resem- 

 bling the colour of a dried bay-leaf. Bay is an ex- 

 cellent colour, and denotes a good nature. The 

 bright bay is an exceedingly beautiful colour, and 

 is deservedly admired. A horse of this colour has 

 generally his mane and tail black, and sometimes a 

 dark list down his back. The dark bays have al- 

 most always their knees and pasterns black. Some 

 of these incline to a brown, and are more or less 

 dappled. 



