414 
W. L. WILLIAMS. 
The element of soundness or absence from grave defects 
should be made a part of an animal’s pedigree, and so far as 
practicable veterinary inspection should begin early in the 
career of a foal destined as a breeding stallion. 
This may seem superfluous to some, but a few illustrations 
will make the desirability clear. 
We not infrequently see young foals with scrotal or umbil¬ 
ical liernise, (scrotal or navel rupture) which in some cases per¬ 
sist and lessen the animal’s value greatly, and at times compro¬ 
mise its life. These tend to disappear with age, so a stallion of 
breeding age may be apparently free, but his get will very prob¬ 
ably show his defect. 
The same is true with cryptorchids or “ ridglings,” the hid¬ 
den testicle sometimes passing down to its natural location at 
two or three years old, but the defect is nevertheless present in 
the constitution and may be transmitted, rendering colts diffi¬ 
cult of castration and multiplying ten-fold generally the cost of 
that operation. 
The only way to avoid these consequences to the greatest 
degree is to know the condition of the parent as a foal, and let 
such defects become a part of its ancestral history. 
In other cases disease or defects may develop or become ap¬ 
parent with age, rendering veterinary inspection of the mature 
stallion no.less indispensable, and indicating that such inspec¬ 
tion should have as wide a range as possible in the life of the 
animal, and during his active breeding career should be fre¬ 
quently repeated. By somewhat frequent veterinary inspection, 
the spread of contagious diseases from stallions to mares may at 
times be limited or prevented. 
We would suggest as an outline for a foundation for efficient 
veterinary inspection of stallions : 
The encouragement of higher, more technical education in 
relation to horse breeding, illustrated by well appointed breeding 
studs, under efficient veterinary supervision, the results in these 
studs as to fecundity, soundness, excellence and longevity to be 
fully published. 
