SOI THE CULTIVATOR. Oct 
BREEDING HORSES—No. V 
In selecting a stallion or mare for breeding, the first 
object should be to see that they possess the requisites, 
individually, which are desired in the stock to be bred; 
next, to obtain a knowledge of their progenitors; be¬ 
cause, on the principle that “like begets like,” defects 
as well as excellencies are transmitted by parents to 
their offspring. Hereditary defects are not always 
apparent—that is, they, sometimes lie dormant for one 
generation or more, and then break out. Before ani¬ 
mals have produced progeny, the best evidence of what 
their progeny will be, is what their ancestors have 
been, because there is a tendency to “ breed back.” 
Animals of the same blood, however, are not equally 
valuable as breeders; hence, the surest evidence of the 
value of a breeding animal, is the character of the 
stock it produces. Thus the value of pedigree con¬ 
sists in affording, in advance, a vindication of the value 
of an animal as a breeder, but the chararter of the 
offspring and descendants, may be regarded as exhibi¬ 
ting the degree of value it possesses—the one may be 
regarded as prima-facia evidence, the other as demon¬ 
strative. 
The mare should possess, as the first and most im¬ 
portant requisite, a good constitution and healthy 
habit. She should be free from diseases, both of a he¬ 
reditary and incidental nature. Her form should be 
that which denotes strength, energy, and endurance. 
She should possess an intelligent and tractable disposi¬ 
tion,—qualities which add value in many respects. 
They render animals more safe and trust-worthy in all 
situations, enable them to perform their work in a man¬ 
ner more easy to themselves, and more agreeable to 
their drivers. In fact, such a disposition amounts to 
an actual saving in the wear of the animal machine, 
and insures its longer duration. 
The stallion should possess the form and requisites 
necessary in the breed or variety to which he belongs, 
in the greatest practicable degree. In regard to form, 
Mr. Youatt has well described what is deemed the 
most important point. “ If there be,” says he, “ one 
point which we should say is absolutely essential, it is 
compactness —as much goodness and strength as pos¬ 
sible condensed in a little space.” 
A capacious chest—not too wide—in a roadster or 
carriage horse, but deep and rounding—is an essential 
point, both in the stallion and mare. A large chest 
gives room for large lungs, which are absolutely neces¬ 
sary to give wind to the horse. The blood must flow 
through the lungs, and there part with a portion of its 
carbon, and receive in its place a due quantity of oxy¬ 
gen. This is essential to life. In rapid exercise, 
respiration is quickened, a greater quantity of blood is 
sent to the lungs in the same time, than when the ani¬ 
mal was at rest. Unless there is room- for this, and 
for the free action of the lungs under this pressure of 
blood, the process of oxydation will not be properly 
performed, the circulation of the blood will be checked, 
respiration will be impeded, and the animal may die 
of suffocation. A horse with small lungs cannot long 
bear violent, exertion; hence, as Mr. Youatt observes, 
when speaking of the hunter—“ the majority of horses 
that perish in the field, are narrow chested.” 
The head should be rather small, neatly turned, and 
broad across the forehead; the face straight, and lean 
from the eyes downward; the nostrils large and expan¬ 
sive; the jaws well rounded with full, strong muscles. 
This latter point indicates that the animal has a firm, 
muscular system, and horses which have It, grind their 
food more thoroughly when they become old, and do 
not show old age so soon as those whose jaws are lank 
and thin. The eye should be full and bright, the ear 
thin and upright. 
The shoulders should be oblique, and well laid in at 
the top. It may be safely asserted that no good road¬ 
ster was ever known with upright shoulders. The legs 
below the knee and hock should be clean, the bone flat, 
the sinews large and prominent, making the shank 
wide. The knee and hock should be low, or well 
“ let down;” the fore-arm and thigh large and muscu¬ 
lar; the hock wide, free from lumps or kernels, and 
the cord above should run a good distance from the 
tibia or lower bone of the thigh. 
Did time and spaee permit, the advantages of ali 
these points might be shown on mechanical princi¬ 
ples. There are many other points which should be 
regarded in selecting horses for breeding, but the 
above may be considered the most important, and the 
present is not the proper occasion for going more into 
detail. As before remarked, it should be the aim to 
procure animals which are as perfect as possible in 
their outward form and internal structure, because on 
this obviously depends their ability to perform what 
we require; but with all our attention in this respect, 
disappointment may sometimes arise. Some animals 
may, as regards mechanical conformation, be free 
from defect, and yet be greatly lacking in the power 
of locomotion. The tangible parts of the machine 
may be right, and their combination apparently per¬ 
fect, but the nervous energy that invisible, imponde¬ 
rable fluid, necessary to its proper movements, may be 
wanting. This vital or nervous energy, is, perhaps, 
better indicated by the animal’s eye than by any other 
organ. Indeed, the eye may be regarded as the index 
to the general character in all cases. If this is full 
and bright, giving to the animal a spirited and lively 
air, with an expression of intelligence, he will not often 
be deficient in nervous energy. But the safest test 
will be an actual trial under the saddle or in harness. 
It has been remarked that it may be necessary to 
breed a stock or family of horses considerably within 
itself, in order to establish uniformity of characteris¬ 
tics. Some may object that this would be breeding 
from too close affinities. A dissertation on in-and-in 
breeding will not here be attempted; whatever may be 
the advantages or disadvantages of that system, the 
course advised has no special connection with it. In 
this country, it is seldom or never the case that many 
horses can be found of precisely the same blood. A 
single stallion often begets, with the common mares 
of the country, a numerous progeny. Having had a 
common sire, one-half of the blood of this stock would 
of course be the same; but as the blood of no two of 
the dams, perhaps, was alike, there will necessarily 
be in the offspring an indefinite variation. The breed¬ 
ing of such a stock together could not be called in-and 
in. Those individuals should be chosen as breeders 
which in points and qualities approach nearest to the 
standard that has been adopted. So long as this rule 
is strictly followed, and none but animals of strong 
constitution are allowed to propagate, no danger need 
be apprehended from such an affinity of blood as has 
been spoken of. 
It is not, however, in all cases expedient to con¬ 
fine the selection of breeders to one family. On the 
