St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-02
AMONG TIE HORSES.
Surgeon Adamson's Opinion
as to Breeding and Train
ing CoachePs.
Only Half a Dozen Animals OF
This Class in Saint
Paul.
All Are the Product OF an
Ads.,iXtuPe Of Common
Breeds.
List of the Extreme Perform
ers in HarneSS--Sale Of
Spendthrift.

"a worse lot of coaching horses can
not he found bound in leather than
those which are to be daily seen peram-
bulating the streets of this city,"
The speaker was J. II. Adamson, the
weil-known veterinary surgeon of Day
tons bluff, one of the best judges and
most skillful doctors of horseheSh in st.
Paul. His opinion on the breeding and
training of horses is therefore worthy
of close attention among hOrSemen. he
continued:
There are about half dozen teams
deserving of passing notice: the others
are a numberless string of narrow
chested, deer-backed admiXture OF
Western wild horses and some do
meSticated strain, not half-6roken to
harness or to the touch of lines, as the
daily number of runaways amply
proves. The absolute purity of blood
is not a necessity for carriage horse
purposes; but let it be clearly under
stood what is meant by the word blood
speaking III a 'hOrsey' way. Ii Is not
TO be supposed that there is any differ
ence between the blood of q thorough
bred and that of the half-bred animal.
No one could discriminate between the
two by any known means. The term
blood is really i'm this case synony-
nous with breed and by purity of
blood hOrSemen mean purity of breed
ing of the individual animal under con-
sideration. Thus it is that the horse
bred from ore source is clarified. either
as a HambletOnian. Norman, Clyde,
Shire. as the case may be. But these
terms are purely comparative: there is
no such thing as purely bred horse of
any distinct breed-race horse, draught.
trOtter or PAGER. All are the product OF
an admiXture of breeds, though now
kept as pure as possible. The best and
purest thOroughbreds are stained with
ImperfectiOnS. and it is only 10y com
parisOn that the word standard" is APP
picable 10 them. For years past the
selection of Sires and dams has run
high and troubled the minds of men.
Certain breeds are known 10 suit certain
kinds of labor and pleasure best. Place
the animal out of his groove and at
once q pitiable spectacle is witnessed,
Fancy, for instance. lankY, tail PAGER
hauling wood or coal, or heavy Nor
man attempting to break trottlng
record One viewiS therefore prompting
sensible horsemen tO-day-purity of
UtOtu anu VI Pun bN'oSF NAAt
II is only reasonable to infer that any
deviation from this point is as muddy
tributary into the clear stream, and
therefore impure.
Good looks in horses are often, as in
many other phases and forms of life.
most deceptive and seductive. Take as
an instance. the external form and SYM
metry of two horses. One has a neat
head, sharp eye, arched neck, deep
chest, ObliQue shoulders, is short
coupled, with long headquarters, pow
erful thighs and strong backs-in fact,
veritable picture. The general pre-
sumption will be that he will possess
great speed and endurance. but he is of
an inferior mixture OF blood. The other
animal is 4 gaunr. spindle-Shanked, i'll
shapen and somewhat communicating
fellow, but OF good bloOd--the latter
Will. i'm nine cases out of ten, unfold
himself and perform to the satisfaction
of every true hOrSeman, Outstripping
the former animal in his particular
glade of work. On this alone the prov
erb has been handed down: IAN
ounce of blood is worth a pound OF bone"
"A man will never succeed in horse
breeding unless he has an innate love
for fine horses, and has special Judg-
ment to discriminate between superior
and inferior individual specimens. 1t Is
not the selt-cOnceited egOtiSt who i'm
agines that equine wisdom will die with
him that will succeed, but rather the
breeder whose Judgment is approved by
acknowledged hOrSemen. Every breed
er. as well as every horse, is weighed
by public opinion. and they cannot rise
above the record of their public per-
formanees. What has breeder accom-
pIished, and how fast has a horse per-
formed, and how uniformity trans
mittpd speed, will determine his rank
as breeder and the horses value as a
performer and producer"