BREEDING. 45 



in the other relative to that defect. Great care should be exercised that tlie 

 same defect does not exist in both. Some knowledge of the parentage of 

 the sire and dam is therefore indispensable. 



For ordinary business purposes the best form of a mare to breed from is 

 a short-legged beast, with a deep and roomy chest, wide hips, and so built 

 in every way as to indicate a robust animal, with a strong constitution. 

 Always avoid, if possible, selecting a mare for breeding purposes Avhich has 

 ring-bone, spavin, or any disease that will render the offspring liable to be 

 afflicted with the same, by hereditary descent. 



The "breed" should be taken into consideration also. If it is desired 

 to raise a carriage beast, select a mare with a good, animated counte- 

 nance, sprightly, not too nervous nor too sluggish, but with a general mus- 

 cular structure. The head of the brood-mare is a point wiiich should be 

 always regarded, for a mare that has a large head, with a dull, stupid coun- 

 tenance, will not breed a good foal, unless it might be from a very sprightly, 

 ambitious horse. The shoulder blade should be wide and long, extending 

 nearly to the top of the withers, and so well covered with muscle as not to 

 present any undue prominence. 



The neck should come out from the top of the withers and not low 

 down; the fore-leg should be perpendicular, so that the point of the shoulder 

 and the toe will be in a right line; the foot should be sound, and of good, 

 symmetrical shape. 



The hips should be long, oval and broad ; the hock-joint should be well 

 formed, and not of the "cow-hock" or "sickle-hock " kind. 



In selecting a stallion, the rules which we have already given should be 

 observed, remembering that compactness is quite essential, that much good- 

 ness and strength may be condensed into a small space. The shoulder 

 should be well back, with the shoulder blade lying obliquely, except that, 

 when it is desired to raise a slow draught-horse, a large stallion, with up- 

 right shoulders, should be selected. 



In summing up the whole matter we w^ould say, if you would be suc- 

 cessful in breeding do not breed into the same family and blood, but select 

 a horse of different blood, unless it should be eight or ten generations re- 

 moved. 



Avoid using a horse which is defective in any particular, when the mare 

 has the same defect, but select one as nearly perfect as possible in that point. 

 Do not breed small mares with very large horses, for there should be mutual 

 adaptation in size and form, as we have before stated. 



