Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-11-19
IMPORTANT TO FARMERS.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE BREED OF
HORSES.
Third Article.

/ horse breeder, in raising stock of any kind,
alter the blCed and form Of the mare and
the qualities Of the stallion, is the temper
and condition OF the dam. The terner,
because nothing is mere decidedly trans
missibe in The blood than temper; thessec-
end, because, unless she is in good health
aud vigor, it is impossible that she can pro-
tuce vigorous and healthy offspring.
''In health" says the same writer,ssvho
has been quoted above, "the brood-mare
should be as near perfection as the artificial
state of tie animal will allow; at all events,
1t Is the most important point Of all, and IN
every case the mare should be very care.
fully examined, with view 10 discover
what deviations from natural state have
been entaiIed upon her by her own labors,
and what she has inherited from her ances-
tors. independently of the consequence of
| accidents, all devlstions from state OF
health in the mare may be considered as
more or less transmitted to her, because, in
a thoroughly sound consti u;ion, TO ordinary
treatment such as trimming consists of will
produce disease, and it is only hereditary
Predispositions which, under this process,
entails its appearance. Still. there are
| positive, comparative and superlaiive de-
grees of Objectionable diseases Incidental to
the broed-mare, which should be accented
or refused accordingly. All acci&spsas9e-
fects, such as broken knees, di.locseea alps,
or even breahs-down.' may be passed ever;
the latter, however, only whensthe stock
from which ;he mare is descended are
famous for standing their work without, this
frailty of sinew and ligament. SpayinS,
ringbones, large splents, side-boEes, and, in
fact, all bony engagements, are ccnstitu-
tienal defects, and will be almost sure to be
perpeluated, more or less according to the
degree IN which they exist in the particular
case. Curby hooks are also hereditary, and
should be avoided; though many one much
bent at the junction of the oS calcts astra-
qaiHs is not at all liable to curhs 1t is the
defe' tive condition OF the ligamcnts there,
not the angular junction, which leads to
curbs; and Il e breeder should carefully in
vestigate the individual case before accep-
ting or rejecting mare with suspicious
hooks. Bad feet, whether from contraction
or rom too fiat and thin sole, should be
avoided; but when they have obvious ly
arisen from bad shoeing, the defect may be
passed over. Such are the general consid-
eratlcns bearing upon sounduess Of limb.
That OF wind is no less important. Broken
@lnded mares seldom breed, and they are
therefore out ofthe question, if for no other
reason; but no one would risk the recur-
renee, even if he could get such a mare
stinted. Roaring is much vexed question
which is Oy no means theoretically settled
amUng our chief veterinary authorities, nor
practically by our breeders. Every wear,
however, 1t becomes more and more fre-
quent and important, and the risk of repro
duction is too great for any person willfullv
| to Tun by breeding from roarer. As far IS
L Can learn, 1t appears to be much more
hereditary on the side OF the mare than ON
that OF tine horse; and not even the offer of
IA "Vlrago' should tempt me to use her as a
brood mare. There are SO many conditions
of what is termed "foaring," that it is diff
cult 10 torm any opinion that shall apply to
al cases. In some instances, where it has
arisen ir, m neglected straugles--generallv
known in the United StatCs as colt dTstem.
Per-or from simple inflammation of the
larynx, the result OF cold, il will nroSably
never re-apPedr; but when the genuine
ldeoPa'hic rearing has made its appearance,
apparently depending upon disease of the
nerves Of the larynx, i, is ten to one that
the produce will suffer in the same way.
blindness, again, mag or may not be heredi.
tary; but in all C ases it should be vie we'd
win suspicion as great as that due to roar
ing. Simple cataract, without infiamn alton,
Undoubtedly runs in families; and when a
horse or mare has both eyes suffering with
this disease, without any other arrangement
OF the eye, should eschew them carefully,
| When blindness is the result OF violent in
fiamatlon brought on by mismanagemeni. or
by influenza, or by any similar cause, the
eye Itself is more or s. dsorganized; and
though this is of itself obie tionable, as
showing weakness of :he organ, it is not
So bad as the regular Cataract
The writer quilted is one of much and
standard authority, yet it is questionable
whe ther, in his desire tc put tie question
fairly in all its lights, be has not laid too
little rather than too much stress on both
these perilous affections. We should say,
under 10 possible circumstances breed from
stallion which has any affection of anv
kind of the respiratory organs, whether
seated IN the lungs or wndpipe. or from one
which has any affection OF the eyes, un ess
1t be The direct result of an accident. -snch
as blew or puncture, not even then. if
the accident, having occurred to one eve
the other has sympathetically followed suit:
and, on the other side, We should saw ON no
account breed from mare affected in
either way, unless she be possessed ofsome
eXcellences SO extraordinary and counter
vailing, that for the suke of preserving the
stock one would be willing to. run some risk
of having worthless animal for his own
use, IN the hope OF possibly having one free
from the dreaded defect and of superlative
excellence. In any event, however, the
praclice is to be eschewed and the rick con.
sidered excessive. Previous to sending the
mare to the horse she should be got into the
most perfect state of teallh and condition.
by m d, rate exercise, = banta1 ce uf-xoe,t
nutritious food and warm stabline. Its No,
desirable that sne should be IN a pampered
state proSuced by hot stables or extraor-
dinary clothing, that sue should have the
short tine coat or the tlooming and GLOWING
col dtion OF The skin, for which one wonIJ
louk IN race horse about to contend for -
four mile heat-not thai the should ba in
that wiry form OF sinew and steel-ike hard
ness OF muscle, which is only the result ~
training. Still less desirable is il ,ha, sbo
houd be overloaded with fat, especially oil
that sUtt fat generated by artificial feedino
While the mare is carrying her foal during
the first three or four months of her pesta.
tons, she will be much the filter, NOT tho
worse for doing her ordinary work-not of
course 9ailoPing long distances at her speed,
M f-nt a, .h,,. 1