20 HOW TO BREED A HORSE. 



pose for whicli he intends to raise stock, into tlie animal 

 bred. For not only is it not true tliat speed alone is the 

 only good thing derivable from blood, but something very 

 nearly the reverse is true. It is very nearly the least good 

 thing. That which the blood-horse does possess is a de- 

 gree of strength in his bones, sinews, and frame at large, 

 utterly out of proportion to the size or apparent strength 

 of that frame. The texture, the form and the symmetry 

 of the bones, — all, in the same bulk and volume, — possess 

 double, or nearer four-fold, the elements of resistance and 

 endurance in the blood-horse that they do in the cold- 

 blooded cart-horse. The difference in the form and text- 

 ure of the sinews and muscles, and in the inferior tendency 

 to form flabby, useless flesh, is still more in favor of the 

 blood-horse. Beyond this, the internal anatomical con- 

 struction of his respiratory organs, of his arterial and 

 venous system, of his nervous system, in a word, of his 

 constitution generally, — is calculated to give him what 

 he possesses, greater vital power, greater recuperatory 

 power, greater physical power, in proportion to his bulk and 

 weight, than any other known animal — added to greater 

 quickness of movement, and to greater courage, greater 

 endurance of labor, hardship, suffering — ^in a word, greater 

 (what is called vulgarly) game or pluck than will be 

 found in any other of the horse family. 



But it is not to be said, or supposed, that all blood-horses 

 will give these qualities in an equal degree ; for there is as 

 much or more choice in the blood-horse than in any other 

 of the family. Since, as in the blood of the thorough-bred 

 horse all faults, all vices, all diseases are directly hereditary, 

 as well as all virtues, all soundness, all good qualities, it 

 is more necessary to look, in the blood-horse, to his ante* 

 cedents, his history, his performances, and, above all, to hifi 



