220 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



the same results as were previously in existence, without the above dete. 

 rioration ; and this is called out-crossing, or more commonly, crossing. 

 The great difficulty is to obtain this object without destroying that harmony 

 of proportions, and due subordination of one part to another which is 

 necessary for the race, horse, and without which he seldom attains high 

 speed. Almost every individual breed has peculiar characteristics, ancj 

 so long as the sire and dam are both in possession of them they will 

 continue to reappear in the produce ; but if a dam possessing them is put 

 to a horse of different character, the result is often that the produce is 

 not a medium between the two, but is in its anterior parts like its dam, 

 and in its posterior resembling its sire, or vice versa ^ than which no more 

 unfortunate result can occur. Thus, we will suppose that a very strong 

 muscular horse is put to a very light racing mare ; instead of the produce 

 being moderately stout all over, he will often be very stout and strong 

 behind, and very light and weak before, and as a consequence his hind- 

 quarters will tire his fore limbs, by giving them more to do than they 

 have the power of accomplishing. This is well seen in Crucifix, who was 

 a very wiry and fast, but light mare, with a fore-quarter hardly capable 

 of doing the work of her own hind-quarter. Now, she has several times 

 been put to Touchstone — a horse remarkable for getting bad-shouldered 

 stock, but with strong muscular propellers — and, with the solitary 

 exception of Surplice, these have been a series of failures. Surplice 

 was also defective in the same way, but still he managed to get along in 

 au awkward style, but somehow or other at a great pace. Cowl, on the 

 other hand, was a better galloper, because there was a greater harmony 

 of parts ; but he was somewhat deficient in the stout qualities which 

 Touchstone was intended to supply ; yet he will prove, I fancy, a better 

 sfallion than Surplice, because he is more truly made, and by consequence 

 more likely to perpetuate his own likeness. 



COMPARISON OF IN-BRED AND CROSSED STALLIONS. 



The following list of thirty of the most immediately successful stallions 

 of late years shows the proportion of in-bred to crossed horses of this 

 class to be equal. I have omitted such as only became celebrated through 

 their daughters as brood-mares, for instance. Defence, etc. 



IN-BRED STALLIONS. 



1. Priam. 2. Bay Middleton. 3. Melbourne. 4. Cotherstone. 5. 

 Pyrrhus I. 6. The Baron. 7. Orlando. 8. Ithuriel. 9. Cowl. 10. 

 The Saddler. 11. Sweetmeat. 12. Chatham. 13. Flying Dutchman. 

 14. Sir Tattou Sykes. 15. Chanticleer. 



