154 SELECTING BREEDING STOCK. 



breeder clearly demonstrates to me that the get of any sire, 

 whether equine or bovine, has a tendency to generally resemble 

 the characteristics of the dam of that sire more than that of 

 any other ancestor back of its own parents, and in many cases 

 ignoring all others. 



Consequently, in breeding dairy cows of different classes, I 

 have always endeavored to obtain a bull to head my herd from 

 the best milking or butter cow to be obtained, and generally 

 with the best results. 



And now, after having been thoroughly convinced that your 

 stallion under consideration has a dam of the right stamp, then 

 the next consideration is to follow up the family of this sire ; 

 first taking for granted, of course, that the animal under con- 

 sideration is individually just what suits you and a rare speci- 

 men of the breed he represents. 



Of whatever breed he represents he should be a perfect 

 specimen with no defalcation as to natural causes. He should 

 have good, bright, clear, and pleasant eyes, well set in a good- 

 shaped, fine-muzzled, and broad forehead, with fine, tapering 

 ears ; the best of round, sound feet — not flat — connected to 

 the body by flat, sinewy legs, not too large in proportion to the 

 body of whatever breed. The fore legs should be well set 

 under the body, and not be stuck on the outside like the legs of 

 a bench. He should be short on the back, long on the belly, 

 well coupled, and ribbed up closely, a full, deep chest, a power- 

 ful forearm, and well muscled. He should be easy and trappy 

 in his movements, and of a color corresponding to the breed to 

 which he belongs. As to disposition he should be of the very 

 best, level-headed, kind, and pleasant under any and all circum- 

 stances ; and to general appearance, beauty, form, color, and 

 coat, he should be of a type to attract attention anywhere. 



As to the age of a stallion to which to breed a mare, I say 

 any age from two years up to any age he can with any degree 

 of certainty sire a foal. 



Eysdyk's Hambletonian sired Alexander's Abdallah when 

 two years old. Hambletonian also sired twenty-four foals 



