The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-01-23

hereditary tnsoundne-s.
J 10 correctly measure the force Of TINS
factor in the practice of morse. breeding it
would be necessary to closely separate
| thCs" few features Of equine life that are
! directly due TO inheritance, from the many
! that owe their repetition to the conditions
! OF after development. As our ob>erva.
! tiOn become, ktener and wider through
! long continued use. the reader We realize
! the scarcity OF the direct Inheritance It
/ fcrc' itself upon our minds a a breeding
| principle that it is the tendency to develop
| along certain lines that 30 tenaciou.y y
| passes down the generations These ten
, denotes, under peculiar conditions that may
attach themselves to the eafter-development
! OF the animal, NAV spring into active life
ana become striking qualities; or if the
! required conditions are not pres. mt the ten
! denotes may be dormant. To make TINS
clearer, let me say that | have never seen
a colt dropped with IA developed SPAWN.
+ though | have heard OF such; but | know
! OF many that have inherited the tendency
t. become spawned Ii a narrow Lock that
only required IA slight slip or sprain 10
| cause the SPAWN to begin its grow th. A
recognition OF the relative value Of hered-
lty and Acknowledgment or training has
another application of more importance
to our horse-brceding interests. The
breeders Of cattle within the present cen.
tury have passed through an experience
that should serve as IA beacon light 10 the
breeders of trOtting horses Many in the
ranks of the catte-Dreeders had An
exalted view of the potency IF
pedigree, and became more or less
attached TO tie practice of paper
| breeding. II tn" peGlgr.e was right,
said they, the amin Il must be right no
matter as TO its after treatment. This
theory, carried into practice. forced ii rec.
OgnItiOn Of the fact that the conditions Of
development and management oftentlmes
smothered features that should have been
inherited, and members OF some families
noted for high qualities became more or
les living libel, on the proves, Of their
ancestors. It i clear 10 me that all the
hereditary force that has heen accumulate
ing in a COW or horse for pou, Of time
may be dissipated to the four winds by a
single year of bad management, and it -
equally certain that good management and
taycrarIr conditions IN bt'vf period may
originate many vaiuln.a qualities inde-
pendent Of heredi,y. Ii / have not wrong
~ noted the direction ut the >,raws that
show the trend OF the wind. many Of the
breeders q trottlng horses are fast drift
ing on towards the shoals that nearly
wrecked many craft launched by the
breeders II cattle. A. the value Of pedi.
gree grows through performance. the
tendency Of many bresders l. e. rXaIt the
former and t slight t.c latrtr. wish 10
emphasIZr, however. that drvrlppe tr0t.
ter that has shown hat he l. strongly trot.
tlng-hred In uls own performance and that
of his gr: Is worth many .hekcIs more
than he o' the purple robe thar has never
bee tn developed amt depends tor patronage
On Z T. one and sine - OF Ms rar-awaY
ancestors.
While the force If neredItv may be
weaker than many breeders are willing 70
admit yet II ha, "A close and direct relation
10 the profits Of the hCrSe breeder. To 1t,
IN the majority OF /, stances We may
charge the multitude defects and dis.
eases that attach themselves to tire equine
body. Il Is well = remember that inher-
Itancr for good or evil has its source Of
strength in repetition. If the growing
prevalence Of hereditary diseases is to be
checked a refusal to patronizA any horse or
to use any mare so !hlcted /, demanded of
all. More important still. do not breed
from animals hat have the conformation
that gives rise to these diseases. Type is
undoubtedly one of the most hereditary
fixtures of animal life. The narrow knee.
the straight paStern. the hook with weak
foundation and little breadth, is more 10 he
stunned than the diseases given birth to
10y them. 4 horse may be spawned and
yet be Il, tor breeding purposes, provided
the hook Is con. tructed on right principles
Dn properly built hook such IA disease
could only originate through a severe aC-
cident. My best advice is shup the horses
With small knees, for splntS arise there
from; avoid those with straight, short
pasterns, for the triple di,elses, sidebone.
ringbOne and navicular diseases originate
with them; and, above all things, pass 10y
the spongy and gross or extremely narrow
and crooked hooks, for such rarely fail 70
give birth to curbs, bogs and bone.
spavins.
Though 1t Is necessary to breed care
fully to weaEen the evil tendencies of
neredity, 1t Is fully as Important to seek
10y our breeding methods and practices
10 strenthen il in those features which are
good. To do thai We must be more speci.
tic in our subjects. In this connection, it
is a pleasure for me to note the recent for
nation of a saddle-horse >tudbook, and a
pacing horse register Through these
agencles, along with our tr0ttlng register.
the Efforts Of our ighthOrs breeders vii.
be directed with more effect along specific
lines. In a short while America will lead
all other countries in the exceilerces Of
her saddlr-hor>rS, aS she does row in tror,
ting ana pacing horses. Through these
vital forces breeders will more Ie dIIy
recognize the potency OF the thoroughbred
IN the pedIgrre> ot Sadulc-G0rscs, and its
ImpttrurN III the lineage Of r TrOttLrg