BREEDING, CASTRATION, &c. 317 



CHAPTER XV. 

 BREEDING, CASTRATION, &c, 



This may be a proper period to recur to the subject of breeding, and pecu- 

 liarly important when there cannot be a doubt that our breed of horses has. 

 within the last twenty years, undergone a material change. Our running- 

 horses still maintain their speed, although their endurance is, generally Bpeak- 

 ing, considerably diminished ; our draught and carriage horses are perhaps im- 

 proved in value ; but our hunters and hackneys are not what they used to be. 



Our observations on this will be of a general, nature, and very simple. The 

 first axiom we would lay down is, that " Like will produce like," and that the 

 progeny will inherit the general or mingled qualities of the parents. There is 

 scarcely a disease by which either of the parents is affected that the foal does 

 not often inherit, or at least occasionally show a predisposition to it. Even the 

 consequences of ill usage or hard work will descend to the progeny. There 

 has been proof upon proof, that blindness, roaring, thick wind, broken wind 

 spavins, curbs, ringbones, and founder, have been bequeathed to their offspring, 

 both by the sire and the dam. It should likewise be recollected that although 

 these blemishes may not appear in the immediate progeny, they frequently do 

 in the next, or even more distant generation. I^ence the necessity of some 

 knowledge of the parentage both of the sire and the dam. 



Peculiarity of form and constitution will also be inherited. This is a most 

 important but neglected consideration ; for, however desirable or even perfect 

 may have been the conformation of the sire, every good point may be neutral- 

 ized or lost by the defective structure of the mare. The essential points should 

 be good in both parents, or some minor defect in either be met, and got rid of, 

 by excellence in that particular point in the other. The unskilful or careless 

 breeder too often so badly pairs the animals, that the good points of each are 

 almost lost : the defects of both increased, and the produce is far inferior to 

 both sire and dam. 



Mr. Baker, of Reigate, places this in a striking point of view. He speaks of 

 his own experience : " A foal had apparently clear and good eyes, but the first 

 day had not passed, before it was evident that it was totally blind. It had 

 gutta serena. 



" Inquiry was then made about the sire, for the mare had good eyes. His 

 were, on the slightest inspection, evidently bad, and not one of his colts had 

 escaped the direful effects of his imperfect vision. 



" A mare had been the subject of farcical enlargements, and not being capable 

 of performing much work, a foal was procured from her. She survived ; but 

 the foal soon after birth evinced symptoms of farcy, and died. 



" A mare was lame from navicular disease. A foal was bred from her that 

 at five years could scarcely go across the country, and was sold for a few pounds. 

 The mare was a rank jib in single harness ; the foal was as bad." 



It is useless to multiply these examples. They occur in the experience of 

 every one, and yet they are strangely disregarded. 



The mare is sometimes put to the horse at too early an age ; or, what is of 

 more frequent occurrence, the mare is incapacitated for work by old age. The 

 owner is unwilling to destroy her, and he determines that she shall bear a foal, 

 and thus remunerate him for her keep. What is the consequence ? The foal 



