Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-14
House, Farm and Garden.
/. d. r. COLLINS. Editor.
Horse Breeding.

Horse Breeding.
Importance of Health and Soundness In both
Sire and Dame.
We have several families or breed of hor-
ses in New England-Morgans, Messengers
or Hambletonians, and Thoroughbreds,
each of which has its superiority over the
Others. Our present breeds ofhorses are
undoubtedly less healthy than those of our
ancestors, and this tendency of unsound-
ness is not marked in any particular de-
partment of the animal economy, but the
defect shows itself wherever the strain is
greatest, from the nature of the work which
the animal has to perform.
The breed that combines the most valu
able properties for domestic use, and unites
the most qualities adapted to practical pur-
poses, is the most useful in the stud. 1t is
not enough to procure well bred stallion,
the mares must be suited to the horse, and
adapted to the purpose required. There
are some stations that have gained high
reputation for getting good stock out of all
kinds of mares, but these are exceptions to
the general rule. The colts will generally
inherit the good and bad qualities of both
sire and dam. 1t is poor policy to breed
from horse with contracted feet, SPAWN,
ringbone, sprung knees, spring-halt, heaves
or weak eyes. What is bred in the bone
may come out in the flesh. In choosing
stallion to breed from, for speed, the first
thing to consider is his pedigree. Many
breeders will differ from this opinion, but
it is not hastily expressed. The longer the
lines of trotting descent in his pedigree and
the more numerous they are the greater
will be the probability that his colts will
inherit the desired quality. Next to pedi-
gree should be considered the speed, bot
tom, health, size, style, color, &c. If the
pedigree is good and the horse sound, he
will beget fast colts, though he may not
himself be fast, but if he has the speed too,
so much the better.
In breeding for speed, it should be re-
membered that size is important if the colt
turns out fast, and still more if he does not.
If he is large enough for taking carriage
with two persons over common road at a
lively gait, the breeding was not failure,
though he may not be very fast.
The style and color are matters of taste
about which each breeder will make his
own choice. Let every man breedwhat he
likes, but would not have him force the
produce on the public as sound, when he
knows they are almost sure to 60 amiss as
soon as they are worked.
have been breeder of horses for forty.
two years, and have learned from expert.
, ence that like begets like. Each class o.
, horses should be bred by itself.
| "Old Clifford Morgan" in his day, was ont
of the best stock horses for general use eve
e in New England. One of his colts, known
as "Green Mountain Morgan" or "Sila
/ Hale horse" left a numerous family o
, handsome, lively trotters, nearly all o
e which became lame in their fore feet. anC
e some even to the fifth generation. His ad
e vent to this vicinity was loss of man.
u thousand dollars to breeders. The name o
# "Green Mountain Morgan or Hale horse,
n in this vicinity, is about synonymous witt
s worthlessness, and will long remain in dis
e repute, though this particular son inherite
II his constitutional tendency to lamenes
IS from his dam, as the Clifford Morgans else
e where are not charged with the same dc
II feet.
IS Messengers or Hambletonians, at thi
IS day are the great fountain-head of trotter
at Old Hambletonian was dark bay, l
re hands inch high, beautifully moulde
v and without weak point. He was tn
D. sire of the Remington or Harris horse, VIII
u was the sire of more fast trotters than an
a. Many of the well-bred Messengers or Han
T. bletonians have large heads-so has Rol
e. ert Bonner, the owner of Dexter-but |
lg gets there first.
at No trotter attains his greatest speed b
n fore maturity, and the best of them contil
ms ue to improve up to Is and lSy years of ag
Ii. To do this, horse must have good CO..
On stitution, one that will carry him to gre
re age without disease, and will stand Il
k; hard work necessary to develop his power
ng Breeding from such horse will thereto
e. improve the stock of the country not on
- in speed but also in stamina.
,es The best thoroughbreds in New Englal
nd are descendants from Glencoe, Boston al
rs, Lexington some persons claim that t
alf true way to produce trotter is to breed
Jul thoroughbred This has been expe
of mented here for SO years or more, and b
ID proved failure. The racer and the tr'
ter are necessarily made differently, and
flying gait, while the trotter goes gu:
ter at time, the racer goes by jumpir
49,. using in succession the forward and af
"a parts of his body. Can that motion be
~ vided and improve the trotting horse!
mo Nearly all the thoroughbreds came fro
;sh England to this country, ana Engla
-. comes to this country for nearly all
trotters taking back another kind of sto
-, If the above is the true way to produce
'ne trotters, why does not England breed tn
an at home?
"'' A thoroughbred of acknowledged exc
w" lence as the sire of racers, might be ute
Wv worthless to improve the road stock. L.
, ington, the sire of more winners than q
~ other horse now in this country, is bli
~" His sire, Boston, was blind, and many
'' the Lexington colts go blind at an ca
'A' age. In 1868 two of his get were foa
jill blind. Yet the best thoroughbred ma
soy are bred to him, because the progeny '
-. probably keep good sight until five ye
-" old, before which age, nearly all the rae
is done. If he were a trotting stalli
'op breeders would not use him because
i'"l colts would 60 blind before they had
NV tanned their greatest usefulness.
70 We may therefore reasonably expect
A breeding of trotting horses to improve
i'm road stock of the country far more t
.oA' has ever been done by thoroughbreds.
p thoroughbred that fails as racer may
only midling kind of horse for any
AUG, er use, but the trotting horse that may
;. be among the fastest on the course n
:. az and probably will be, a very superior l
horse.-F. A. WIER in PhGni1.
him.
yam Labor, Wait and Hope.
The farmer knows not if his fields,
gree With flood. or drought, or blight must C
you he Questions NOT tne nckle s SKIES SKIES,
hing Then up. and strive, and dare, and do,
: the Nor doubt a harvest thou wilt gather;
It's time to labor and to wait,