Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-02-24
On Breeding.

On Breeding.
The severe work TO which young
horses are now subjected is the chief
cause of the present great liza.
bility to disease. If they were well
fed, and allowed to mature their con-
stitution before being trained, they
would, i'm all probability, remain
sound for considerable time. This,
we fear, Is not likely to be attended
to. The farmer, has SO many de-
nlands ON his purse that he can
scarcely afford to allow his horses to
roam at large till they reach their
fourth year; and the turtle finds it
more profitable to race his colts at
two years old, then keep them ove",
ut heavy expense, until such time 9
humanity, aud due regard to the
souudness of the animals, would
point out as the proper period for
their first appearance on the turf
The necessities of the one, and the
avaricious disposition of the other,
thus renders it next to impossible to
get good sound stock either to use or
TO breed from.
Blood horses are completely broken
down with the severity of their early
training and racing; or else, If they
continue to run on, and well, for
three or four years, they command
such enormous prices, that few To-
calities would remunerate the pur>
chaser of first-class stallion, unless
the breeders could be induced to
change their present opinions and
practice. This, perhaps, is the point
at which reform should commence /;
and we are inclined to think that
those parties who keep brood mares
would willingly Incur much great
er expense than they do at present, if
they were properly alive to, and -S
ware of the importance of the mat
ter. In general, they have such ill
digested notions OH the subject, that
they are better satisfied to pay q
small sum for the services of q
twretched, weedy, useless animal
than. to give a remunerating return
o the purchaser of a firstrate, sound,
and high-priced horse; in fact they
know so little about points of q
horse, that they generally choose the
one whose deformities are hid by O
mountain of beef. Such men breed
from any mare that will breed, get q
common country five or ten dollar
sire, or, If their aspiring thought car
ries them so high, some thorough
bred one, whose shape, make, blood
and performance bring him to about
the same price; they thus get living
beast, probably inheriting all the
combined inperfections of both pa
rents. The system of crossing
which has been adopted since the in
PRODUCTION of thoroughbred stall
lion around in the country, appear:
TO be a further cause of the degener
alton of our general stock. Let his
shape and qualities be good, bad, OF
Indifferent, the one which possesses
a sprinkling of blood Is sure TO be
the animal which will be selected
as sire. His light action, snowy
appearance and high-sounding pedi'
gree, will be sufficient recommend
alton to those who are ignorant o
the various points an qualities which
are connected with the strength, sub
stance, durability and disposition o
the animal. Besides, the same horse
is certain of being put to gre2
humber of mares of all sorts, shapes
and sizes, without the slightest re-
gard TO that exact adaptation of form
in size and dam, which is absolutely
necessary in order to secure a salts.
factory result. Breeding from blood
stations is highly c0mmendabie
provided it is done with judgment
and discretion but the practice Of
Ttotent crossing is directly objection
able, and cannot be too strongly con-
denied. Extremes in crossing are
very rarely successful; and it is real.
ly astonishing to see farmers so con.
stantly putting their complete cart
mares TO thorough bred horses, ex-
pecting to have foals Of a class Fl fol-
fast work, whereas nine times out OF
ten they are fit neither for slow ner
fast use.
BY the practice here referred to,
breeders expect to produce a horse
combining both strength and action;
but they are very frequently treated
TO an animal of such nondescript
form, that he is fit neither for the
land Eor sea.n In place of being a
fair medium between the sire and
dam, he take chiefly after the one in
some parts, whilst in other places he
will lean entirely to the opposite
side; and he Is consequently so bad
ly balanced and prOportioned that he
Is comparatively useless. His tenn
per, moreover, is frequently charac-
terized by want of conformity to
to the purpose for which his owner
might think him in other respects
best adapted Western Farmer.