62 STALLIONS AND MARES, ADAPTATION. [BOOK I. 



part of the young animal ; and the colt will be 

 brought forth with that deformity, and carry it 

 through life to the knackers, after plaguing two or 

 three of its owners with fruitless endeavours to 

 physic off its ills. 



We say nothing whatever of the cross to be adopt- 

 ed ; that being withoutside our plan, would carry us 

 too far away from our main subject. But we may 

 observe, in passing on, that no breeder in his 

 senses would think of employing a horse to raise 

 stock that has served half a dozen, or more, mares 

 in the course of the day ; and yet nothing is more 

 common, nor more inevitable, when the payment 

 for covering is low (say a guinea or two), than that 

 the smallness of the sum must be made up by the 

 number of mares served, the price, keep, and at- 

 tendance upon stallions, being expensive. This 

 error must be so palpable to any man who calls 

 himself a father, as to render any further argument 

 upon that topic utterly unnecessary. Some twenty- 

 five years back into the last century, we recollect 

 reading a well-attested account of a celebrated 

 horse's dying in consequence of twelve or fourteen 

 successive efforts in procreation ; and if such be 

 the deplorable case with the parent, what strength, 

 bottom, or lastingness, can be hoped for in the pro- 

 geny so begotten? Nevertheless, we are of opinion, 

 that a vigorous horse, which may have been freely 

 engaged (if early in the season) may be in a better 

 condition for raising large and lively stock, than 

 under any other circumstances whatever, except 



