190 THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING 



when their transmission has actually been demonstrated in the 

 progeny. 



The existence of a defective conformation is to be regarded 

 with as much apprehension as the actual unsoundness itself, 

 especially if the latter be unaccompanied by an apparent pre- 

 disposing cause. In making such a determination, it must be 

 borne in mind that some unsoundnesses, as roaring, may not 

 manifest themselves, even though transmitted, until such age that 

 the horse in question may have been lost track of, although, as a 

 rule, a sire of colts that develop unsoundness with any degree 

 of uniformity can soon be detected. 



Suitable Laws. — Any law to be workable and meet the varied 

 conditions, as tiiey exist in most States, should have some flexi- 

 bility in its application, permitting arbitrary consideration of 

 each case by those in charge of its administration. With a suffi- 

 cient number of registered, sound stallions available to the 

 breeders of a community, a law might be veiy strict in its re- 

 quirements as to breeding and soundness, but there are localities 

 where the interest in horse breeding is such as to need a boost 

 and is not capable of withstanding much of a knock. As long 

 as the State itself is not empowered or equipped to place there 

 a good stallion, but must depend upon private ownership for 

 whatever breeding there is done, stallions that should be barred 

 from service, if in competition with good sires, may be permitted 

 to stand, if not doing more harm than good. Meanwhile, the 

 efforts of the stallion board or commission may be devoted to an 

 educational campaign which will ultimately bring better stallions 

 into that district. 



Difficult Points. — It is most difficult to establish the fact 

 that a stallion is unfit for service on account of an existing un- 

 soundness or a short pedigree, while his get are annually selling 

 for more than the colts of other stallions fully accredited on the 

 basis of strict stallion law requirements. ISTot until the poorest 

 pure-bred is superior as a sire to the best grade and until much 

 more is known of hereditary unsoundness, can we consistently 

 make legal discrimination against all grade and all unsound 

 stallions, without effecting detriment to the breeding industry. 

 Elimination of the unfit is only one means of protecting and pro- 



