The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-08
Is neculiarIy favorable TO the muscle and

is peculiarly favorable 10 tue musc'c ""u
health OF our horses.
N the wheat which we grow makes n hour
that crosse, the tropics into Brazil IN sound
or condition than any other received there;
| N The tobacco we grow compares more IL
yorabIy with the best Cuban than any other
produced In the United States, why may'we
not infer from the long catalogue OF four
mile thoroucbbreds reared In this "sh0rt-
urassv region. which illustrate the " Amer
lean Stud Book and Turf Register" that
| there are special qualities IN our cllmate, AZ
| mosphere, aud food products, which pecu-
| liarly adapt them 10 the race-horse! Ihough
| chemical science may moi know how 10 0e'
veI0p the phenomenon, yet experience TOT
| a quarter Of "A century in a hundred race
fields. a better teacher than iheoretic SCI
ence, abundantly and 10 my mind concln-
| siyely establishes that there l. something IN
our region which gives IL excellence over
all others rs region for rearing the THOR
Ougbbred horse.
| do not think the horse is very emphat'
| really a grazing animal. lie does not IKE a
long bite Of grass. He seeks bare places IN
the pasture, and clips a. near The root Is ne
can. II turned into high grass he nlps oh me
seedy tops OF the timothy or cloyer.stalk>,
and di>dalns the >ucculcnt stems aud blades.
| He is
| NOT ADAPTED TO GRAZING IL HERDS;
his ancestors OF the desert were ignorant OF
the grazlng life; and il he by chance or
neglect gets of into the wild prairies and
multiplles into herds, he dcGenerate> III a
single generation into hairy pony.
| EXcept that winter pasturing IS good
means OF getting humors aud inf lmmatiOns
out of his system where 1t has been too
much pampered, and that thorough san
vatlOn on clover pasture in the early SpfIn@
is the best treatment for warnings and two
year-Olds, | am not prepared 10 believe that
! paStuTin@ is of much service Ito the horse;
aud every hOrscmln knows that clover nay,
or old Virginia blade fodder j. better rough
food for the horse IN winter. as consiancy,
than the best hay.
| At all events experience te1chCS mat
grass. in the field or 10 the NOV, Is not
essential 10 the horse: IL was not to the
horse Of the desert IN his ab1li ginal hQ6i-
J f0t; if WIS not 10 our royal Nirelnian
,leed, in the wonderful years Of the first
half OF our century, when the Virginia turf
aud stud boosted whole host of Sir Ar
IchyS. BostOns, ana Ninls.
The truth Is that the horse does bcs, when
he j. individually treated 10y hi own lndl-
yidual muster. In the desert b, lived in hi>
ma>tei's tent a. part OF The family; and
rvcC since be came to ENGLAND and America
/ BE has done best when most under the lndl-
yidHa handing Of his owner.
The maxim If the old Spanish Blrbr vas
| the true one: Tine master eve fIttcuS thc
| stccd'' Give him this individual care and
pay reasonable attention 10 the laws or
breeding, avoiding forcing processes Tor
size at TIE expense OF quality, and my opln-
! ion Is hat YOU mly raise a GOOD thorough
! bred in any cline or land favorable To- man
! himself. but in no land more certain or size
ce>.ful ceteris pariJuS than in our own old
| Virginia. Yours, sincerely,
RO. W. llUGHEs.