98 Breeding. 



be right if there is any principle whatever in breeding ; 

 and, however good a horse may be, he cannot be suited 

 to all mares. Some, again, will say that any horse will 

 do, and that all is a lottery ; but I think I shall be able 

 to show that there is some science required to enable the 

 breeder to draw many prizes. That the system generally 

 followed of late is a bad one I am satisfied, and with the 

 usual and constant crossing and re-crossing, it is almost a 

 lottery; but upon proper principles, and with careful 

 management, I am tempted to believe that there would 

 be fewer blanks than at present. 



In choosing the particular blood which will suit any 

 given mare, my impression always would be, that it is 

 desirable to fix upon the best strain in her pedigree, if not 

 already twice bred in-and-in, and then to put to her the 

 best stallion available of that blood. In some cases, of 

 course, it will happen that the second best strain will 

 answer better, because there happens to be a better horse 

 of that blood to be had than of the superior strain, which 

 would otherwise be preferred. If, on the other hand, the 

 mare has already been in-bred to the extent of two degrees, 

 then a cross will be advisable ; but I am much inclined 

 to believe, from the success of certain well-known cases, 

 that even then a cross into blood already existing in the 

 mare, but not recently in-bred nor used more than once, 

 will sometimes answer. Upon these principles I should, 

 therefore, look for success; as the production of good win- 

 ners has so often followed this practice as to make its 

 adoption exceedingly tempting. 



The choice of particular stallions, as dependent upon 

 their formation, is not less difficult than that of the mare, 

 and it must be guided by nearly the same principles, 

 except that there is no occasion for any framework espe- 

 cially calculated for nourishing and containing the foetus, 

 as in her case. As far as possible, the horse should 

 be the counterpart of what is desired in the produce, 

 though sometimes it may be necessary to select an animal 

 of a breed slightly exaggerating the peculiarity which is 

 sought for, especially when that is not connected with the 

 preponderance of fore or hind-quarters. Thus, if the mare 



