116 PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING. 



well to lay too much stress upon "blood." What 

 matters it that my horse was sired by such a one or 

 such a one, if he be himself defective ? In breeding 

 horses, structure is first, and endowment with nervous 

 energy is next to be seen to, and then pedigree — after- 

 wards that these be fittingly united, by proper selection 

 for coupling, in order to secure the highest degree of 

 probability which the nature of the case admits, that 

 the offspring may prove a perfect machine and be suit- 

 ably endowed with motive power. 



" The body of an animal is a piece of mechanism, the 

 moving power of which is the vital principle, which 

 like fire to the steam engine sets the whole in motion ; 

 but whatever quantity of fire or vital energy may be 

 applied, neither the animal machine nor the engine will 

 work with regularity and efiect, unless the individual 

 parts of which the machine is composed are properly 

 adjusted and fitted for the purposes for which they are 

 intended ; or if it is found that the machine does move 

 by the increase of moving power, still the motion is 

 irregular and imperfect ; the bolts and joints are con- 

 tinually giving way, there is a continued straining of 

 the various parts, and the machine becomes worn out 

 and useless in half the time it might have lasted if the 

 proportions had been just and accurate. Such is the 

 case with the animal machine. It is not enough that it 



