NEW 
“ TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND MIND.” 
SKRIKSS 
Vol. IV. 
ALBANY, JUNE, 1847. 
No. 6. 
BREEDING HORSES—No. I. 
Messrs. Editors —In the January number of the 
Cultivator, you made some remarks on breeding horses. 
I fully agree with you in regard to the advantages that 
would accrue from rearing good stock of this descrip¬ 
tion; and I admit also, the importance of knowing the 
history or origin of our best horses. On this point, I 
notice that you attribute the excellence of some of our 
best roadsters to an admixture of the blood of the Eng¬ 
lish race horse with our “ country” mares. I shall not 
at present dispute the correctness of this conclusion; 
but as some may draw the inference that a resort to 
that blood would now be productive of equal advanta¬ 
ges, I wish to offer a few remarks; and after having 
duly considered this point, I propose, with your leave, to 
make some observations on the best mode of improving 
our horses for the carriage and road. 
First, then, I would observe that the horses spoken 
of by you as having produced so great an improvement 
in the stock of the country, were “ blood horses of the 
olden timed 7 This is a distinction which I consider it 
important to bear in mind, as in my .opinion a great 
change has taken place in the character of blood horses 
within the last seventy or eighty years. The fashion 
of the turf has changed; formerly, long races with 
heavy weights, were the test of superiority; now it is 
short races with light weights. With this change there 
has been a corresponding variation in the character of 
race horses. Instead of a strong, close-knit, substan¬ 
tial animal, able to cany weight and sustain himself 
under long-continued action, the object now is to ob¬ 
tain one whose conformation will admit of his making 
the longest and most rapid strides for a short time. All 
who have any knowledge of animal locomotion, know 
that quite a different form and proportions are necessary 
for the different purposes mentioned—they know, prac¬ 
tically, that though long legs may give speed, short 
ones are required for endurance. 
But in relation to the difference between the blood 
horses of the u olden time,” and those of the present 
day, I do not wish you to rely solely on my own state¬ 
ments. and I will therefore offer authority which I think 
will not be questioned. I will first submit the testimo¬ 
ny of English writers, and afterwards that of compe¬ 
tent individuals of our own country, and thus l - by the 
mouths of many witnesses ” establish the point. 
The writer of an essay “ On the Improvement of the 
Breed of Horses,” published in the (London) Farmers 7 
Mag. for 1845, states that the number of inferior horses 
in England has very much increased within a few years, 
and he proceeds'to inquire into the causes of this result: 
“ The description of horses to which our inquiry ex¬ 
tends. are of that class constituting hunters and road¬ 
sters, both in saddle and harness^ coachers and chargers, 
or what is called 1 half stock . 7 77 The qualities which are 
required in this description of stock, he observes—are 
speed and endurance, with the capability of carrying 
heavy weights, with varied pace, through deep ground 
across a broken country; and in order that they should 
possess these capabilities, they should have what are 
commonly termed, in hunters’ phraseology, ‘ bone, mus¬ 
cle, and compactness .’ by which is understood compact¬ 
ness of form, and tile bone and muscle in tfieir proper 
places. * * * It would appear that our blood stock for 
merly possessed these ciiarthjters in an eminent degree, 
and by reference to former sporting publications, it will 
be seen that they were shorter in the leg, and capable 
of carrying heavy weights and runninmJLong distances ; 
now they run with light weights ajioshort distances, 
where bottom is not so necessary. Our fleetest racers 
were then what are now called small horses, which 
means that they were not the tall, lengthy, leggy racers 
of the present day, but compact, muscular, and remarka¬ 
ble for their capabilities of carrying, hcd?^ weights, and 
power of endurance. * * * This change in our blood 
stock has originated in consequence of alterations which 
have taken place on the turf. If the great stakes at 
present were two and three miles, instead of half or one 
mile distances, they would certainly be won by the 
1 stoutest blood,’ though not perhaps, the fastest horse. 
* * * A mile is not sufficient to try the strength and 
endurance of any horse, although it may do to test its 
speed for the purposes for which he is now chiefly re - 
quired. viz., to win a heavy stake. 77 
An impression prevails in this country, that blood 
horses, with long pedigrees, must of course be valuable, 
and calculated to improve our common stock. Hence it 
is that large patronage is frequently bestowed on stall¬ 
ions, which, excepting in length of pedigree, are deci¬ 
dedly inferior. This tends greatly to increase the num¬ 
ber of poor horses. The same error in breeding pre¬ 
vails in England, and produces the same ill consequen¬ 
ces. This is shown by Mr. John Burke, Jun., in an 
essay on the 11 Breeding and Management of Horses on 
a Farm,” published in the fifth volume of the Journal 
of the Royal Agricultural Society , 1845.) Speaking of 
the numbers of inferior horses, with thorough-bred pedi¬ 
grees, which are kept as stallions, Mr. Burke says— 
“ This system is tantamount to the supposition that a 
horse of full blood, must ipso facto, be an animal likoly 
to beget stock of a superior description; whereas, those 
who have paid only a moderate share of attention to the 
subject of breeding, must be aware that there is perhaps no 
distinct species [breed ?] of horses among which are to 
be found so many absolutely worthless animals, as among 
those that are thorough bred. 77 This fact, he adds, is 
fully borne out by the great numbers of “ weedy tho> 
