PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 147 



and adaptation for the business of raising race-horses, I would 

 most earnestly advise him to stick to the more common breeds. 

 But when a breeder has the taste and ability for blood-horse 

 breeding, this style of breeding will afford him the most enjoy- 

 ment, for the breeding of fine and blooded horses as a business 

 has a tendency to elevate one much higher than the breeding 

 of any other class of horses, or sheep, or cattle, or swine, etc. 



In breeding horses, as well as all other kinds of animals, do 

 not expect to get better animals than you breed from, for if 

 you do you will very likely be disappointed. 



It has been said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty ; 

 it may be said that eternal vigilance is the price of success in 

 the horse-breeding business. 



Horse breeding of all kinds at this day and age of the world 

 does not mean any half-way business ; it is presumed that every 

 one who engages in the breeding business at all is in it for a 

 profit, and he should not expect a profit on producing some- 

 thing that other people do not want. 



In horse raising, as in any other kinds of business, there are 

 certain rules that must be observed to make it profitable, the 

 first of which is to produce an article that is in demand and 

 that will command a fair price. 



Whatever the breed decided upon by beginners, I would 

 earnestly advise breeding horses for beauty, brains, and busi- 

 ness. Beauty always attracts customers who pay the highest 

 prices ; brains, or good horse sense, is an important point for 

 the breeder's own use, and the business horse has a sphere of 

 usefulness unknown by the horse of speed alone, minus the 

 other qualities. 



Breed on the principle that a colt will not be better than its 

 parents, although if you mate rightly there are many chances 

 that he may be. Do not depend upon luck, but go at the busi- 

 ness in a rational and well-defined way, and then good fortune 

 should crown your efforts. 



Never under any circumstances breed any mare to a miserable, 

 ill-built, mongrel brute, the results of which would be fit only 



