14 
Half-lred  Horses  for  Field  or  Road: 
railways  ; (2)  foreigners  and  export ; (3)  cavalry  remount- 
regulations  ; (4)  drainage  and  improved  land,  more  cattle 
and  sheep  ; (5)  the  unreasonable  return  of  horses  sold  on  war- 
ranty ; (6)  influenza  ; (7)  the  annoyances  of  the  tax-collector, 
and  the  unjust  claims  under  the  head  of  horse-dealer’s  licence. 
Influenza,  and  using  long,  tall,  leggy,  half-bred  stallions,  produce 
roarers.  Long-backed,  long-legged  horses  more  frequently  be- 
come roarers  than  those  that  are  near  the  ground  and  compact : 
variability  of  climate,  clipping,  singeing,  and  chill,  all  pre- 
dispose— but  nothing  predisposes  to  roaring  so  much  as  influ- 
enza. Farmers  will  not  send  mares  any  distance  ; they  grudge  the 
fee  ; the  expenses  of  travelling  a horse  are  considerable  ; and  in 
addition  there  are  all  risks — constant  change  of  stable,  standing 
about,  cold,  influenza,  roaring,  inflammation,  not  to  speak  of 
the  difficulty  in  finding  a sober  leader  : all  these  considerations 
often  lead  to  a sale  rather  than  to  travelling.  Travelling  a 
stallion  costs  from  5 /.  to  11/.  a week.  Farmers  grumble  at 
two  guineas  ; down  comes  a foreigner,  and  away  goes  a good 
horse!  General  Peel  says  in  his  evidence  before  the  Lords' 
Committee  : — “ To  encourage  and  improve,  don’t  cover  at  a low 
fee  ; cover  half-bred  mares  at  51.  5s. ; good  mares  at  half-price, 
first-rate  mares  gratis  ; then  good  mares  would  be  found  ; if  you 
covered  all  sorts  gratis,  some  people  would  breed  from  a donkey  !” 
If  you  take  care  of  a horse,  he  is  all  the  better  for  travelling, 
say,  30  miles  a day.  I had  a stallion  travelled  till  26  years  old  ; 
“ Old  President  ” and  “ Young  President  ” travelled  after  that 
age.  I have  had  horses  cover  over  100  mares,  with  scarcely  one 
geld  ; “ Perion  ” served  250  mares  in  one  season.  In  one  case 
I know,  192  mares  were  covered  by  the  same  horse,  22  only 
geld.*  Breeding  cannot  be  carried  on  profitably  on  a large 
scale ; the  land  gets  foiled  t with  horses  : the  best  horses  are 
bred,  not  in  great  studs,  but  on  small  private  farms.  It  used 
not  to  be  the  custom  to  give  colts  corn  after  the  first  winter. 
A young  horse,  without  shelter  in  summer,  costs  10/.  a year 
to  keep  up  to  4 years  old;  Phillips  and  East  both  gave  15?. 
between  3 and  4 years.  To  breed  a thoroughbred  yearling  costs 
at  least  100/.  ; dam  and  sire,  say  20  guineas  ; risks,  barren  mares, 
&c.,  and  40/.  a year,  to  keep,  say  15s.  a week.  Infirmities 
and  false  shapes  of  horses  have  increased  with  their  size : as 
I have  observed,  large  horses  are  more  apt  to  be  roarers  than 
small  ones,  because  they  have  not  girth  in  proportion  to  size. 
The  curse  of  our  day  is  breeding^'rom  fashion.  Racing-men 
regard  fashion  more  than  utility.  Stud-owners  purchase  or 
* William  Shaw,  a Yorkshire  stallion-leader  for  thirty-six  years,  gave  curious 
evidence  on  these  and  other  points. — Report,  Lords’  Committee,  which  see,  p.  ttG. 
t Old  English — to  beat  down  with  feet ; to  trample ; foul’d.  French—; fouler. 
