The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-15
How 10 Breed Fast Trotters.

Mr.. Busby, of the Turf, Field and
Farm, has devoted over Il column of
his journal in criticiZing the position
we assumed in our address before the
students of the Illinois industrial
university, that, in order TO obtain
the greatest success in breeding trOt-
tiers, trotting-bred sireS and dams
should be used, and that running-bred
OF thoroughbred ireS and dams should
not be used for begetting speed at the
fast trotting gait. To prove that our
position is wrong, he cites score or
so of fast trotters that have more or
less thoroughbred blood.
That there are exceptions to all
general rules no one doubts. There
are trotting stations so prepOtent in
transmitting conformation, gait and
speed as to overcome all opposing OBJ
stacles, and they beget trotters in
spite of all unfavOring circumstances.
Notwithstanding the dam had no dis
position to trot, could not be made to
trot mile in four minutes, had not
the conformation for trOtting, max
ing the gait very tiresome one to
her, yet the overpowering influence of
the sire was such as to reproduce him.
self, or his great proclivity to trot, in
the foal which was begotten.
But such cases are very rare. The
fOal has received no assistance in the
trotting disposition or proclivity
whatever from the dam, for she had
none, herself, to give. How could
she give what she did not possess :?
All her instincts and training babe
her to run, not to trot. The mental
characteristics of the dam. which usu-
ally have such potent influence on
the dam, were adverse, instead of
beneficial to the foal, in a trotting
sense.
We do not deny that now and then
fast trotter may be obtained in this
way, Just as prize at the lottery is
now and then secured by buying lot
terry tickets; but because a few prizes
are thus drawn, should we close our
eyes to the immense number of
tickets that have been purchased
that have draw nothing? Should
we lose sight of the thousands of
failures and see only the now and
then lucky one and recommend every
body to buy lottery tickets ? And yet,
| in our Judgment, this is the very
principle upon which Mr.. Busby is
working. He is trying to make the
exception the rule.
Do the breeders of trotters, those of
the largest experience, concur with
us, or with Mr.. Busby? Do they go
to the running-bred horses for trOt-
ting speed, or the trotting-bred Will
| Mr.. Busby tell US of a single reputa-
BILE breeder of trotters that keeps a
thoroughbred (running-bred) stallion
1 90 70 RI frnf
tiers? He cannot do it. Will he telllus
if the breeders of trotting horses
are attending the sales of race
horses. buying runnlng-bred mares
| to breed trotters from? If
long experience has demonstrated
they are the dams to have
on farm, devoted to breeding trot-
tiers, to secure the greatest success in
getting trotters, would not find them
stocking their farms with running
bred mares? Mr.. Busby, we know,
gets the catalogues of the prominent
breeders of trotters throughout the
country-those breeders who have
had long years of experience in
breeding fast tIotters. Does he find
these men adding running-bred or
trotting-bred mares to the list of
brood mares? Experience has taught
them one or the other is best to pro-
duce trotters. Which is it, running
bred or trotting-bred mares for dams
Mr.. Busby knows, everybody knows
it is trotting-bred mares, mares that
come from trotting-bred families, and
not only that, but mares that can trot
fast themselves.
We have known an occasional half
breed pointer, or half-breed setter to
make good dog in pointing quail OF
grouse-but because of this should
everybody who wants to breed good
hunting dog to stand on quail OF
grouse, use Il cur dog on setter OF
pointer bitch, or vice versa? Wehavt
heard it said that some of these half
breed pointers or settlers would tire
out any pure-bred dog that could be
produced, but the trouble is that not
one in twenty half-breed hunting dogs
can be taught to stand on game-they
want to run on to it, and follow the
bent of the cur part of their nature.
We admit there is a good deal OF
good blood, thoroughbred blood, il
you please, in the horse stock of the
present day; that, perhaps, there are
few dams used for breeding trotters
that do not possess more or less of it
but trotting crosses on top of it, and
habits of action in being driven at the
trotting gait. and the running pro
} elivities being, to a large extent
smothered, and the trotting action en-
couraged, they become good dams fol
, producing trotters, but the farther
they get away from the running
blood, and the more the trotting in
heritance is encouraged and devel
oped, and the less the running power.
are brought into play, the more sue
eessful they viii be in producing nat
ural and fast trotters,