BREEDING FOR GENERAL PURPOSES 193 



instances we have known the experiment tried of putting 

 a cart-mare to a thoroughbred sire, and vice versa; but 

 have never yet seen this answer. The produce from such 

 a connection does not, as might be expected, possess the 

 strength of the cart-parent, lightened by the thoroughbred 

 throughout his general formation, but is mostly a brute 

 with light legs and body, with the head and shoulders 

 of the cart-horse ; or, at all events, in some parts or other 

 of his form he will be this kind of nondescript ; at least, 

 all we have seen bred by such a cross have been so. The 

 fact that the produce outwardly more resembles the sire 

 than the dam leads many people into the very great error 

 of being careless in their choice of mares. The Irish 

 breeders err particularly in this respect ; for, speaking in 

 a general way, provided they get a good sire, they put the 

 veriest wretches on earth to him. To this practice we may 

 attribute the fact that Irish horses have hitherto been more 

 " cross-made " than English. This peculiarity of form is 

 gradually getting less particular as they improve their 

 breeding. There are certainly fewer of what the dealers 

 facetiously call "three-cornered " horses from the sister isle 

 than formerly. 



It may, perhaps, be justly affirmed, that there is more 

 difficulty in selecting a good mare to breed from than a 

 good horse, because she should possess somewhat opposite 

 qualities. Her carcase should be long, to give room for the 

 growth of the foetus, and yet with this there should be 

 compactness of form and shortness of leg. '' If horse- 

 breeders, possessed of good judgment, would pay the same 

 attention to breed and shape as Mr. Bakewell did wdth 

 sheep, they would probably attain their wishes in an equal 

 degree, and greatly to their advantage, whether for harness, 

 for saddle, or for hunting," 



The mare is capable of breeding at three and four years 

 of age. There have been injudicious instances of their 

 being made mothers at two years, which may be passed 

 without comment. The mare comes into " season " about 

 February, and continues " horsing " at intervals until the 

 end of June or the middle of July. The term of gestation 

 of the mare is between eleven to twelve months ; these 

 periods forming its ordinary limits. According to M. 

 Tessier, who observed the result in 582 mares, who had 

 conulated but once, the shortest period was 287 days, the 



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