630 
IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL HORSES. 
breed them. They are, in the first place_, not so uniformly 
marketable as cattle, or sheep, or pigs. There is greater 
expenditure of time and labour attendant upon their produc¬ 
tion, and a much longer period is required before they are in 
a fit condition for rendering active service; and even putting 
out of the question acute and fatal disease, certain loss attends 
their unsoundness. A defective constitution, bad confirma¬ 
tion, a vicious temper, or any derangement which interferes 
with the animaks capabilities, will render a horse worthless; 
while a much more serious defect would only condemn any 
other of the farm-stock to the butcher at a remunerative 
price to his owner. 
During gestation much care is necessary in the treatment 
of the mare. A reasonable time of rest is required before 
and after parturition; while a neglect of these precautions is 
often attended with consequences of an unfortunate character 
to the mother or the offspring. Under all circumstances, 
therefore, there is little cause for surprise that the majority of 
farmers confine themselves to the cultivation of what may be 
precisely called ^^farm stock,and leave the production of 
horses to the professional breeder, or to those whose time and 
capital are often thus employed from a fondness for the occu¬ 
pation. 
There is probably little reason to regret that among farmers 
generally horse-breeding finds no favour. Knowing what we 
do of the very heterodox opinions upon the subject, or, even 
worse, the absence of any opinion or thought at all—save 
what is expressed in the general conviction that anything in 
the character of a mare that has been a valuable animal upon 
the farm will, in spite of her present condition, answer per¬ 
fectly for stock purposes, if the proper horse he selected —we 
feel inclined to estimate the farmer’s numerous and well- 
founded objections to engage in the practice of breeding as 
so many points in favour of the animals in question, for their 
interests would suffer in the hands of those who have not 
even a definite purpose in view, and who, acting without 
fixed principles, could hardly effect very great improvements. 
Successful cultivation of all kinds of stock presupposes the 
existence of a decided intention. No breeder has arrived at 
satisfactory results by accident; his primary act must consist 
in determining what conformation, what constitution, and 
what special characteristics, shall constitute his ideal. Pro¬ 
bably the originals are ungainly, long-limbed, rough-coated, 
of slow growth, and with a digestive system requiring an 
abundant supply of food, yet not contributing to a propor¬ 
tionate increase of carcase. The ideal is the reverse of this 
