their  Breeding  and  Management. 
41 
than  whom  there  were  lew  better  judges  of  what  was  really  true 
shape,  having  had  him  and  “ Daniel  O'Rourke”  offered  to  him 
each  for  1000/.,  preferred  the  latter,  as  being  the  better-turned 
horse  of  the  two.  And  I am  quite  of  opinion  that  if  both  horses 
had  been  kept  exclusively  for  country  purposes,  “ Daniel’s  ” 
“Birdcatcher”  blood  (that  of  the  day  for  hunting)  and  symmetry 
would  have  proved  him  the  best  of  the  two.  Assuming  the  fact, 
then,  that  many  good  race-horses  are  not  perfect  in  shape,  and 
that  heavy-shouldered  and  otherwise  bad-shaped  half-breds  are 
neither  hunters  nor  hacks,  it  follows  that,  though  the  breeder  of 
the  former  is  often  successful  with  his  animals  bred  in  all 
shapes,  the  breeder  of  the  latter  is  more  heavily  handicapped. 
He  can’t  get  a good  price  for  a “ three-cornered  ” horse,  and  con- 
. sequently  his  success  will  depend  on  producing  fairly  true-shaped 
ones.  Therefore  his  aim  must  be  to  use  such  a sire  as  will  ensure 
symmetry,  as  far  as  is  feasible,  upon  the  fact  that  external 
organisation  generally  follows  the  sire,  and  the  bare  principle 
that  the  best-shaped  horses  are,  in  the  long  run,  the  best  for  any 
purpose,  last  the  longest,  and  bring  the  most  money.  In  order, 
therefore,  to  secure  symmetry  in  the  produce  of  his  mare,  I shall 
first  show  him  how  he  will  not  do  so,  excepting  by  sheer  luck. 
I shall  take  the  negative  line  of  proof  founded  on  cases  that  have 
come  constantly  under  my  notice  for  years,  the  like  of  which  will 
be  reproduced  if  he  commences  in  the  manner  so  many  do  to 
their  cost,  and  which  is  one  of  the  phases  of  fluky  breeding  not 
worth  trying.  I have  made  it  my  theory,  in  which  practice  has 
long  confirmed  me,  that  the  mare  must  be  roomy  and  have  some 
action,  as  it  is  next  to  hopeless  to  breed  from  a mare  without 
some  flippancy  about  her.  The  breeder,  further  to  ensure  size  as 
likely  to  command  a price,  selects  the  big  horse  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood, advertised,  as  I have  often  observed,  “ standing  nearly 
16  hands  2 inches,  with  substance,”  not  knowing,  or  overlooking, 
the  fact  that  the  more  size,  the  more  liability  to  all  natural 
blemish. 
In  due  course  the  foal  makes  its  appearance  (a  colt,  we  will 
suppose),  and  being  what  is  called  “ a great  good  one,”  the 
dam  is  sent  to  the  same  horse  again.  Every  day,  however,  as 
the  foal  grows  older  it  grows  plainer  ; and  though,  as  a yearling, 
lings  averaged  60  guineas  each,  the  highest  price  being  165  guineas;  2 fillies 
foaled  in  1855  averaged  25  guineas  each;  8 fillies  foaled  in  1856  averaged 
52  guineas  each ; 6 fillies  foaled  in  1857  averaged  50  guineas  each;  18  fillies 
foaled  in  1858  averaged  101  guineas  each,  the  highest  price  being  250  guineas  ; 
23  fillies  foaled  in  1859  averaged  111  guineas  each,  the  highest  price  being  260 
guineas;  5 geldings  foaled  in  1861  averaged  105  guineas  each;  10  other 
geldings  averaged  72  guineas  each  ; and  15  hunters  averaged  94  guineas  each, 
the  highest  price  being  330  guineas.  The  interest  evinced  in  this  remarkable 
sale  was  gradually  on  the  increase  from  the  first. — C. 
