AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
111 
a suggestion, to be confirmed or refuted by ex¬ 
periment. 
•—-—-- 
From the Mark Lane Express. 
RESOURCES FOR BREEDING HORSES. 
Hating in a previous communication shown 
that our horses have not deteriorated in respect 
to blood and performances, I will now proceed 
to consider how their superiority may be con¬ 
tinued, confining my observations to those sub¬ 
jects which apply to breeding hunters, roadsters, 
and carriage horses. For these purposes, but 
especially for the two former classes, recourse 
must be had to stallions which have been 
bred for the turf; and although it is not imper¬ 
ative, or in all cases advisable, that the mare 
should be thorough-bred, it is essential that the 
sire should be. Here, however, I must intro¬ 
duce the suggestion, that there can be no ob¬ 
jection to a powei-ful short-legged thorough-bred 
mare with hunting action, if such an animal can 
be obtained at a reasonable price. Breeders of 
all kinds of animals are aware that w r hen a cross 
of what may be termed plebeian blood is re¬ 
sorted to, the stain should be in the dam, and 
that the male should be of the higher class. 
The superiority of the progeny arising from 
this system was clearly demonstrated some 
years since. The stallions to be selected should 
be those with good legs and feet, sound consti¬ 
tutions, strong backs and loins, with prominent 
hips, muscular thighs, and perfectly defined 
hocks; the shoulders being so intimately con¬ 
nected with the action of the fore-legs, demand 
the most positive scrutiny, and temper is an at¬ 
tribute not to be disregarded. Color may also 
be a consideration—not forgetting to ascertain 
what may have prevailed among the ancestors. 
A horse that has signalized himself by winning 
his races when the ground has been deep, is 
greatly to be preferred, for the purpose now 
under consideration, to one which could only 
run when the course was dry, although the for¬ 
mer may not have won more than two or three 
races during his career, and the latter twenty. 
This circumstance will generally influence the 
breeders of racing stock, who selecting the one 
which has won the most races, and beaten the 
most superior competitors, leaves the other at 
the service of those who confine their breeding 
to less aristocratic pretensions. Perhaps it may 
be observed that there are very few stallions in 
which are combined all the good qualities I have 
enumerated; but there are some; they should be 
extensively patronized, and that would be the 
best security against their being sent abroad. 
It is too frequently the parsimonious saving of 
breeders which leads to that event. While in 
every department of a breeding establishment it 
is necessary to practise economy in the true ac¬ 
ceptation of the term, it is equally important to 
avoid penurious extremes, which must eventu¬ 
ally lead to disappointment and loss. Every 
man should determine upon giving a fair price 
for a fair commodity; and as every man who 
breeds hunters expects to realize a good price 
for a good horse, he should not be niggardly of 
the sum which he pays for the services of that 
animal which is to be the progenitor of his fu¬ 
ture hope. Rather than expend three sover¬ 
eigns for the services of a superior stallion, many 
persons will put their mares to any wretch, if 
the owner will accommodate them for a mere 
nominal remuneration. This is the frequent 
cause of useful horses being sent out of the 
country. It cannot be expected that the owner 
of a valuable animal will refuse the offer of a 
high price from a foreigner, unless he can fairly 
calculate upon realizing an equivalent sum by 
keeping his horse at home. 
To secure stallions of repute, farmers would 
find, it advantageous if they would unite, and 
signify their determination to patronise those of 
character. An extra sovereign or two is of no im¬ 
portance to an individual, more especially when 
he reasonably anticipates a return of his money; 
but when a number of persons contribute their 
one or two sovereigns, it becomes an object of 
great importance to the recipient. The intro¬ 
duction of Arabian blood has been recommended, 
as calculated to correct the evils which are. al¬ 
leged against the horses of the present day. 
The argument held is, that in “the early days 
of racing the large importations of good Arabs— 
followed as they were by a careful and contin¬ 
uous selection, not for one good quality, but for 
a fine union of qualities—succeeded for many 
years in producing, both for the turf and all 
useful and pleasurable purposes, the best sad¬ 
dle-horses in the world.” I have clearly shown 
that the horses of the present day are far supe¬ 
rior to those of the time referred to. Going 
back to Arabian blood would-be like putting a 
child back to his alphabet after he had gained 
proficiency in spelling. The advocate of the 
Arabian states that “ most of the Arab horses 
which have of late years come to this country 
have not been of the first class;” and also that 
“they can only run at their full stretch for 
about half a mile.” There is no doubt that the 
horses that have been imported have been the 
best that could be procured; and the fact of 
their not being able to run more than half a 
mile is an admission that our race-horses are 
far superior to them in running distances. 
Apart from racing, for hunting purposes a cross 
from the Arab is worthless, which I have seen 
in several instances. Animals bred in that 
manner are proverbially soft, and of delicate 
constitutions. For breeding hacks, if they are 
only to be required for parade, selecting very 
handsome Galloway mares about fourteen hands 
high, the services of a clever Arabian may be 
admitted, but for no other kind of horse. 
If it is desired to breed large powerful car¬ 
riage horses, a very active short-legged Cleve¬ 
land horse may be most suitable; but he should 
be one of extraordinary perfection. 
Unfortunately, many persons who enter into 
the speculation of breeding are not sufficiently 
good judges of the points and merits of horses, 
and thus they are often led into the error of 
putting their mares to unsuitable stallions at a 
low price. Not being able to distinguish the 
difference of blood, constitution, shape, and ac¬ 
tion between the one wffose covering price is 
three sovereigns and the other whose price is 
one sovereign, they only regard the saving of 
their money, without reference to future pros¬ 
pects. It is to be hoped the Royal Agricultural 
Society will take the subject into consideration; 
they have it in their power to advance the in¬ 
terests of breeds of horses very materially; and 
I doubt whether it can be done more effectually 
than by offering liberal prizes for the produce 
of certain stallions which, having been exhibited, 
shall be approved by the judges. It would be 
a means of assisting inexperienced breeders in 
their selections. They would naturally send 
their mares to those stallions, in the hope of 
gaining the prizes for their produce; but it 
should be a condition that the stallion so chosen 
should be restricted to covering mares not thor¬ 
ough-bred for a certain sum, I think not ex¬ 
ceeding three sovereigns. Comparing the value 
of the prizes offered by the Royal Agricultural 
Society—when the meeting took place at Glou¬ 
cester—for other kinds of farming stock with 
those for horses, especially of the roadster class, 
it would appear that such animals are consid¬ 
ered unworthy of encouragement. For three 
different breeds of bulls £40 each were given; 
but for the best roadster stallion only £15. 
Young bulls, cows, and heifers in milk or in 
calf, and yearlings heifers of the three kinds, 
were liberally rewarded with prizes, and like¬ 
wise old and young stallions, fillies, and brood 
mares and foals for agricultural purposes; but 
there was not one prize for young stallions, fil¬ 
lies, or brood mares of the roadster class, which, 
if judiciously managed, is the most profitable 
stock a farmer can raise 
The next consideration—and that is a most 
essential one—is the method of keeping foals 
after weaning them ; it is a rock upon which so 
many breeders have foundered. Having weaned 
their foals, they consider nothing more is neces¬ 
sary for them but grass, and that at a time of 
year when it is sour and contains very little nu¬ 
triment. On the importance of this subject, I 
make an extract from a letter by a friend, who 
heard that I had very recently visited a breed¬ 
ing establishment which some years since was 
in very high repute. To give additional weight 
to the remark, I must state that my friend is a 
member of the Veterinary College, and for 
thirty-seven years had the superintendence of 
the first stud in England. He writes—“ From 
ignorance in forming the plan, the grass is now T 
so rank and sour that there are complaints of 
worms, &c., instead of praising, as was formerly 
the case, the keep of the paddocks.” Much of 
the success or disappointment attendent on 
breeding horses turns upon the choice of ap¬ 
propriate food, which requires occasionally to 
be varied. The growth of animals, the devel¬ 
opment of muscles, and the texture of bones 
and sinews, depend greatly upon the food with 
which they are supplied. I am not about to 
recommend such nutriment as may be conduc¬ 
tive to the production of fat, but such as will 
supply the blood with the elements of muscle, 
bone, and sinew; for these are the substances 
which render the horse valuable. To this pur¬ 
pose a moderate allowance of corn and hay is 
imperative. First-rate hunters and hacks can¬ 
not be reared without it. The proportions may 
vary, as the constitutions of all animals are not 
alike, and circumstances will sometimes produce 
unexpected changes. It is in the judicious ob¬ 
servance of these matters that the talent of the 
breeder is exemplified, and his success will to a 
great extent depend upon his discrimination. 
When a horse appears too fat, it is a certain in¬ 
dication that the food which he receives abounds 
in particles having the property of forming that 
substance ; in which case it should be changed, 
and the quantity diminished. 
In some cases it will happen that a horse does 
not generate a sufficiency of fat, for a certain 
portion is as necessary to health as an overbun- 
dance is prejudicial. This may arise from in¬ 
disposition, the bad quality of the food, or its 
not being suitable to the constitution. If indis¬ 
position be the cause, the nature of the com¬ 
plaint should be ascertained, and suitable reme¬ 
dies administered. Should it be decided that 
the quality of the food is bad, the alternative is 
obvious. Relaxation of the bowels will cause 
horses to lose their flesh ; and so will the oppo¬ 
site condition—constipation. These complaints 
will frequently have their origin from the food 
not being suitable to the constitution, and there¬ 
fore a change is necessary. These may be con¬ 
sidered trifles; but when it is observed that 
relaxation of the bowels, and also constipation, 
in foals and young horses, if neglected, often 
becomes constitutional, that impression must 
cease. In the management of thorough-bred 
stock, every effort is exerted by giving them 
good food to bring them forward, so that they 
may run at two years old. It would be out of 
character, on this occasion, to enter into any 
arguments for or against the practice of run¬ 
ning them at such an early age ; but I may re¬ 
mark that every farmer is aware of the profit 
and advantages of making his oxen and his 
sheep ready for the butcher at the earliest pe¬ 
riod possible ; and that is accomplished by se¬ 
lecting those breeds which are celebrated for 
the purpose, and supplying them at an early age 
with suitable food. By judicious treatment the 
horse may likewise be brought forward in his 
stamina and condition, by which means a four- 
years-old will be as forward as a five-years-old 
that has been neglected, and this may be termed 
the economy of breeding. To explain myself 
more clearly, we will suppose two colts are 
taken from their dams in October; one shall 
have two feeds of corn per diem, a bran mash 
once a week, and occasionally a few swedes, 
according to the state of the bowels, four or 
five pounds of hay, a small paddock or yard to 
run into, with a hovel for shelter at night and 
when the weather is unfavorable ; the other to 
be turned into a meadow where the grass is up 
