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BIUBEJDXltC'' OX1 UKOOn STOCK XX
To the Editor of Jidl'i Life in London.
Mil. Editor, — I am glad to see that tho unsoundnoss of
our present breed of racehorses is now occupying so
much attention in your columns. Somo timo ago you
wero good enough to insert a letter from me, in which
I called attention to tho subject, by romdrking that it
was a singular fact that, although most of our ' cracks'
now break down at three or Tour years old, yet their
Bircsgenerally ran on much longer. Thus, Melbourne,
although he could with difficulty bo trained, from
lmvlflf? mnf. tvitli nn nnnirlnnf ttsitnn .vntinr/ nil Imf m^n
tho Chester Cup at six years old, with Oat 41b on him ;
Touchstone won tho Ascot Cup at tho samo age. Which ?
of their descendants , has ovor dono tho samo? Except
Chanticleer, I do not remember any of the Birdcatchers
that has run on, though Saunterer bids fair to do so.
Would it not appear from this that thero must bo somo
other causo beeideB their breeding which makoa tho
present generation of horses so infirm? I cannot help
thinking that the sovcro preparation nnd tho number of
prlvato races at homo which thoy havo to undorgo must
hnvo a great deal to do with It. It cannot bo that thoy
havo to run more public races, as thoso trainers who run
their horses most often, such as Mr, T. Parr and John
Osborno, always make their horses last longest. Bo that
as It may, thcro is no doubt that tho public interest in
racing is diminished by it, as wo seldom In tboso days
have a popular favourite, such as Beeswing, Lanerco3t,
Alice Hawthorn, etc., used to be. ? No sooner has a horso
dono n great thing or two than ho disappears from tho
scone, as Fandango, Vcdetto, Skirmishor, Impcrlouso,
and others havo done, and as most of tbo crack thrco
your-olds of 1858 bid fair to do. Hoping that some of
your correspondents may bo induced to givo us their
ideas on the subject, yours, &c, A LOOKER ON.
' Sm,— Many very interesting articles have been written
rospecting breeding of horses, and much stress has been
put on breeding sound horses. Thero are doubtlossmany
breeders of horses who aro notawaro of tho difficulties
of breeding and rearing sound animals. . How many
havo been fortunate enough to. breed and rear what is
technically called a sound horse? Is a horso frea from
any description of traceable diseaso? Thero may bo a
horse in existenco free from disease; it has never been
my lot to examine such an animal. Years gone by tho
diseases of horses wero known only to tho few, and the
veterinary surgeons of the old school pass over as sound
many imperfections that not only ought to be polntod out,
when their opinions aro requested, but in many instances
objected to; nnd mother cases trivial imperfections nro
noticed moroly as a means of rejection, because tho ani
mal docs not suit the purpose for which ho was intended
—in othor words, docs not ploaso the purchaser. Tho
caprice of vetorinary surgeons' opinions respecting sound
ness in horses, even when given honostly and candidly,
owing to tho whims and fancies of each and almost
every member of tho profession, exceeds belief. Many
horses aro practically sound, and workably so for years
without faltering or falling in any respect. Horses of
this description aro continually sold and rejected for
unsoundness, when the unfortunate owner of such ahorae
has had tho misfortune to sell the samo with a warranty
of soundness at more money than tho purchaser may,
after he gets tho horse into his possession, consider him
worth, particularly if tho animal displeases in somo
othor respect. Thero aro many instances of unsound, .
bad heartod horses being passed as sound animals by
veterinary surgeons. Thoy aro gonornlly too Inanimato
to put their frames in motion to do any serious injury to
any part or parts of their bodies ; tho seeds of diseaso are
provalont onough'in thoir carcases. Thoy havo not tho
will, tho' stamina', to injure thomsolves, and aro worth
loss Breeders of horses and sollers of horses, without
any oxcoption, bo advised by ono who has studied horse
flesh— nover soil a horso warranted sound. Tho man
who deviates from this as a rule will regret warranting
any horsa legally sound. A man may possess a very
bad-hearted, unsound horse, and this class of animal
cannot be much deteriorated in any now owner's hands.
In that special case no harm may result from giving a
warranty of soundness, but to warrant a game good
hearted horsa sound at time of salo ia simply an act near
akin to madness. Thero ia not in existenco a sound
horso, with a heart in his body that is fit to bo called a
heart; that Is, a horso of pluck, gameness, and character,
who has over undorgouo fatiguo, and boon tried and
tested severely.
Thoro are many men who may road this, fancy they
can find and havo in tlipir possession many sound horses ;
to tbeso gentlemen a trito old saying seems most appro
priate, ' Whero ignoranco is bliss 'tis folly to bo wise.'
Thoro aro fow foals free from disease ; tho seed is sown
and roady to germinate on tho least exciting causn.
Thoro aro many strains of blood that possess moio
stamina and gamoncss than others, and many charac
teristics of Bhapo and make that render theso strains
more remarkablo and valuable. Who can point out a
stallion of any yaluo sound ?
Those ' stallions' which havo publicly proved by
their running timo nftor timo tho best, against all
comora, are invariably the most valuable ' sires.' Tho
best proved raco-horsca, animals that can carry high
weights, como out often, and win at all distances. Horses
with hoarts inside thoir bodies, game to tho backbone
— nnlmalB that will struggle as if for their lives without
swerving one jot to the right or left, animals that have
tho power and energy to rend asunder bono aud sinow,
if their efforts aro not successful, and thoy aro pressed bo
yond all powers of enduranco— theso aro tho metal to
select as sires, and to cross with dams of equal temper
and goodness. Thcro may be too much of tho sap takon
out of good horses and mares botoro thoy nro put to tho
stud j nevertheless, from those strains of bottom and good
ness it will bo found tho majority of our good horses
annually Bnring. Thero aro a few exceptions, although
tho majority of moderate sires and dams are some
thing In tba proportion of a hundred to one. C»ti tho
eyo of man detect a colt with a gamo good heart? * And
if ha cannot, haw can he tell which may or may not
proro the L'est out of many presented to hiB gaze? Ho
may select an unim.m perfect In slupo, action, And exte
rior demonstrations to nuit his own fancy, and yet msy
not pick the beat. When told the breed, you can judge
of tho character of the sire and dam, and thus arrive nt
a more just conclusion. Tlicn l«t our guido for breeding
bo of that sort that breeds tho best and greatest number
of good horaes. Fashion dictates, and keeps tho best
horses generally before the public. If thero bo merit,
however obscure, in any animal, sooner or later tho
public aro sure to estimate tho value in comparison with
others, nud however long that yaluo may hnvftlain dor
mant, out it must come sooner or later, circumstances
permitting. ..'..'
In conclusion, allow mo to glanco at old Touchstone's
stock. What muse'e, peculiar formation, action, and
stamina thoy possess) Who daro condomn a powerful
Touchstone colt. with all their peculiarities, Marionette
to wit?;, Who can 'estimate tho valuo of good this ono
siro has dono this country. Somo of his sons nro notori
ous sires. Orlando 1 -What a peculiar shaped hors3 is
this, nnd yotwhat stock ho gets— first class race horses,
hacks, hunters, oarriago horses, etc., havo all boon got
by him, Newmlnlster, another roly-poly Touchstone
horse, whoso stock aro romarkablo for cleverness and
quality, his dam Beeswing was n cracker of undeniable
gnmenessj stoutness, aud stamina. What stock might
not this maro havo bred had she not been training, and
all tho siip loft' in her? Mountain Deer is another re
mnrkdblo instnnco of Touchstone's get. Who over saiv
such a roll of musclo as this horso presents to notice?
His formation surpasses description; nnd his stock nro
highly spoken of. Do Clare, another Young Touchstone
sire, who miist como into repute somo dav, Thcro are
many other Young Touchstone sires, who'might boshot
to benefit tho country, and somo of tho tried' ones.
Brcedcrs.'if you want speed and constitution, you must
havo 'a' Touchstone, cross; this judiciously solccted and
combined with Pnhtaloon.'Venison, Sir Hercules, Irish
Birdcatcher, Bay Midilleton; Mo'bourno, and other well
known Btrairis will never bo regretted. Mako and shape
aro things most essential in breeding, coodmss of heart
and stamina must bo remembered, malformation should
bo avoided, horeditary infirmities counteracted; and slzo
studied. Tho host animals in themselves, ns a rule,
produce the best produce j stick to goodness, select any
of tho above-named, crosses without any alloy of inferior,
dams or sires, for back blood, and you arc almost certain
asfsircs; when n colt is, born, remember ho ought not
long to look like a colt; tho sooner tho characteristics of
a horso develop themselves in him the better. Draft all
bad sucklcra as dams,'. tho food often makes tho horso;
breed them to live in any part of tho country whero
plenty of bay and corn can bo got, to grow into horsos,
despite tho mismanagement of many grooms and trainers,
tobonovor sick nor sorry, to take their work liko lions,
and defy the world. Nenrly all old mon toll you of
what has been dono in their day with horses, and ninny
aro infatuated onough to think tho rising generation Ineic
speed and stamina. Theso opinions will always bo held
as long as egotism exists. Yours, etc. YARDLEY.
Mrc.iEDiToni — Tho letters that have appeared in j'our
vnluablo paper on breoding nro very interesting, but I
bog to. differ from tho opinions of somo who jump at
conclusions that roaring is hereditary. ? I have had moro
than twenty years' oxpericrico in breeding race horses
and hunters. I havo bred, from roaring marcs put to
roaring horses, and; never bred a roaror in my life.
Roaring is an after cause, frequently arising from caro
lessness. My opinion is, thero would be very few roarers
if peoplo would bq' more careful of their foals. Tho
causes ; of roaring aro innumerable. Tho foundation for
roaring is frequently contracted after taking tho foals
from tho dams in tho autumn months— damp, wet, feggy
weather— thoy got heated with galloping in tho pad
dock ; frequently a short cough follows, noi considered
of any con8Cquence. This goes on for somo timo, neither
better nor worso in some Instance.', nnd nothing is dono
to relievo or remove it, unless it becomes worse. Now
the fact is, this is all tho time doing injury, and becom
ing a chronic disenso: inflammation 0:1 the uvula and
tho small muscles adjoining (plain terms nro boat under
stood), produce contractions, thus the roaring, perhaps
not till thoy havo a severe cold when yearlings or two
yenraold; tho glands much enlarged, mucus discharg
ing from tho nostrils; gets worso, past foeding, very ill,
don't know that ho will get better ; if ho docs be is suro
to bo a roarer,. and if bis siro was a roarer they givo him
the credit of it; if his siro was no roaror then it is from
tho disease. This is always the conclusion.
. If you look 'back in tho Calendars, from longcon
tinued experience, you will find more ronrora from sound
horses and sound mares than roaring ones. I havo a
maro now, taken out of training, at Mr. John Scott's,
when two years old, on account of roaring, which has
bred nine sound foals, and no roarers, although put to
runniiif uorses at times, ono 01 wiucn ran second lor tno
Oaks, won tho Park Hill by ten lengths, and many
other races. This way of breeding must bo a convincing
proof of roaring not being hereditary. A friend of mine
has thirty. brood mares near Middlcham. I havo fro
quently honrd him say ho has put roaring maros to
horses of tho samo complaint, and never a roarer In this
way; Ho considers ho prevents tho roaring by tho im
mediate application ' of hartshorn and oil, wo'll rubbod
under tho throat, when the slightest cough appears with
foals. This is my treatment likewise. Never allow a
cough to linger. I would as soon put a maro to a roar
ing norse as a horse that is no roarer, provided tho blood
and shape suited. Molbourno had a groat deal of that
abuse till Sir Tatton Sykes came out. Tho projudico
then gave way, and ho got mares moro freely, which
produced Canezou, West Australian, Blink Bonny, oto.
Wo should havo no such cattlo an those had every ono
considered roaring hereditary. It don't follow that Tox
opholito should boa roarer, becauso Longbow, his siro
and that of Medallion, is ono.
It is a loss/' and unpleasant for a hunter, carrhgo
horso, or raco horse, to become a roarer. Thoy aro in
consequencd fit for no sovoro work, but no worse what
ever for breeding from, the complaint not beinp; a natural
one, but from an after cauae. No more, in fact, than a
iiurau Having unu an eye KnocKca our- mac 111a prouueo
should bo fooled with a similar defect. ? When I speak of
horaes that I beliovo aro not roarers but havo got roarers,
amongst them are Birdcatcher, Chnnticlcor, and Volti
geur. AH have got roarers, and out of mnrcs that aro
sound— no fault to, the horses or mares— as I stated
before; it is on after cause, and tho pro'udico ought to
be dono away with. ? ?? OBSERVER.
Richmond*, 14th February. :
ITho writer is a well known breeder of raco horjes,
and substantiates his statements by sending us his name,
and tho animal reforred-to.— Ed. *1
Mr. Editor,— A correspondent in your paper of 18th
February, seems to take it for gran to i that both horses
and maroj, if thoy havo had sovoro work npoh tho Turf,
nro thoreby deteriorated and rendered lncapablo of being
good animals in tho stud afterwards ns stallions, and
more especially as brood mares. I wholly doubt and
deny any such conclusion. I almost incline to tho con
trary opinion, at least if such animals are * not very
unfairly trespassed upon, and so injured in some ma
terial point. I incline to think that their powers can
only be called out in tho lino for which they aro in
tended, viz, by contests upon tho Turf. I think it
moro than probable that their powers aro increased
rather than diminished by such exertions'; and that
their muscles and sinoivs are improved rather than in
ured by being brought into frequent piny and exertion.
Of courso I at once oxcept nil unfair and unjust tres
passes upon their powers, and I therefore think that at
least thoy are not tho worse, either as stallions or brood
mares. This is n mera matter of opinion, and to bo
established or rofutod, as I conceive, by citing examples
and instances. I think tho balance as to tho success of
their progeny will bo found to. bo nearly equal botwoen
thoso horses and maros who havo undergono severe
trials upon tho Turf, and those, on tho othor hand, who
have dono littlo or nothing. I think that I have the
means to lay this boforo your readers, upon both sidos
of the question, viz., botweon the well tried nnd tho
comparatively untried (or altogether untried), and will
proceed to do so. Probably dating from the beginning
of tho present contury will bo considered sufficient, but I
will name a few examples boforo that time. What wora
better stallions than King Herod, his sons Woodpecker
and Highflyer, and Eclipao, by Mareko ? Vet each of
them had done very sufficient work upon tho Turf before
thoy camo out as stallions. Woodpockor and Pot8os, by
Eclipse, his groat rival, had raced for very many years,
at all weights, and at all distances, and yet what stock
was ever hotter? Thoir descendants, ovon to tho pre
sont day, aro tho best and most popular going. To
como lower down, Waxy arid Gohannn, especially tho
latter, also raced for many years, nt all weights and at
all distances, and yet what two stallions wero moro suc
cessful and more deservedly popular? Wo can still go
on with a succession of thorn. ??? Dr. Syntax raced for
exactly ten years, yet bo was a- capital stallion. To
como down»tlll lower, Touchstone was many yoars upon
tho Turf as a racer, yot who superior or ovon equal to
him? . . . .
I will now mention tho maros which havo boon
equally successful as racers, and afterwards ? as
brood maros. Ponelopo, by Trnmpator, was upon
the Turf M a racor for about eight years ;
sho was equally good at all distances and at all weights ;
yet, upon rotiring from hor racing career, she was por
iaps tho best brood marc that England over produced,
In proof of which I need only add that bIio was dam of
Whalobono, Web, Woful, Whiskor, Waterloo, Whiz
gig, etc. I will givo another instance in hor half-sistor
Parasol, by Pot8os ; sho lasted very nonrly as long upon
tho Turf as Penolopo, and was aftorwarda : dam of such
animals as Partisan, Promise, Pindarrio, Pastime, . otc.
To come down lower in point of date, 1 do not for a
moment admit that Beeswing was a bad produco maro.
Every ono knows her cxcollcnco and lastingnoss upon tho
Turf, and, though sho died qulto young, sho was dam
of Nunnykirk, \»ho won tho Two Thousand Guineas
Stakes in 1819, and was second for tho Legor, and of
Nowminster, who won tho St. Lcger in 1851, and who
now bids fair, from his two-year-old produco of last
year, to becomo tho best stallion of the day. I could
multiply theso instances ntiin/vnifum ; but I think these
instances nro amplo to prove, that thero Is lit least Bufil
cient ground for believing, that thoso animals which
have dono tho greatest work upon tho Turf ns racers aro
at least equal to thoso 03 stallions and brood mares which
havo failed upon tho Turf, or which have been a littlo,
or not at all, tried. I am not denying for 0 moment,
that thoro aro. not plenty of instanced which may bo
brought forward on tho opposltO js'd«. But what I con.
tend is, that no conclusion can b's'Jrawn upon 'either
ono side or tho 'other. Both are hid In the iajcrutablo
?nystories of nature, and oxperienco nlona can show
whether tried or untried .stallions arid maros do best in
the stud. .Fisherman may, or may not, prove a-jjcod
stallion; but I think the work he has done on the
Turf, and hia unprecedented performances upon it,' are
much in his favour. If he does foil, I think it willra
ther proceed from his boing of nn unknown andunprovod
breed ; in fact, from his not coming of a racing family
cither upon tho side of his siro or his dam.
Yours, etc., . ?: '; J. P.
:. Mr. .Editor— Many breeders of racing stock '. look
upon it ns quite a lottery, except they are fortunate,
enough to possess marcs that havo bred winners. The
followln-t list of thirty celebrated winners, taken pro
miscuously, . with tho respective agos of their sires and
dams, when they wore bred, tends to prove several
points.' As attention to the following facts docs not en
tail any additional oxpenso to tho brooder, it may pos
sibly ho acceptable to somo of your reader.'. Thei first
column of figures shows the ago of tho siro when tho
respective list of horso.' wore got, tho second column the
ago of tho dams when tho foals wero dropped : — '. .?
AjjeofARCof Aeoof Ace of
Sire. Dam. ? Biro. Dam;
Irish nlrdcatoher. 0 ,. 10 Warlock ....;... 10 .. 16.
Van Tromp ? 8.. 8' Knt.of St. George n .. 0
Flying Dutchman 12 ..10 Fisherman ...... 18,. 0
Coronation ....'. II .. 13 Ellington ? 0 ., n
Orlando. ? 8.. 8 Sir Tntton Sykes.. 8 .. 1
Sweetmeat ? a .. 0 Melbourne ? 11., 9.
Alice Hawthorn ., 1 .-. 1 Bran ............ 8 .. 8
Annnmlule ? 10 .. 11 Tcddlnt-ton ? B .. 10
Charles Xir. .... 9 ..18 StockwoU ........ 6 .. H
Cothcrstonc...... 8 .. 10 Rataplan.. ? 7 ..13 ,
Lanercost, ? a ., 15 Virago ? J .. 10
West Australian:. 15 ,. 1 Volttgeur ........ 1« .. Ill .
Nutwlth.... ? 10 .. 21 Blink Bonny.... 10 ..11 -
Fandango ? 7 .. 0 Surplice......;.'... 13 .. 8
Vcdotto..... ? « .. G :??'.????:?- — ?—.'?- ?
TllO Hero ? 8 .. 11 30)301) . 30)319
? 10 10-30 100-30
It thus appears that for horses that ' havo been in
training, about ton or eleven years Is a good timo to ox
pect'to breed a superior animal. That two old ones
should not bo united, na Warlock is tho only instnnco of
success, tho united ages of hi.-t siro and dam amounting
to 85 years, and that havins» youth on ono sido (it mat
ters little on which) ; of good horsc3 from old sire's, and
young maros, tho tablo gives five, viz., West Australian,
Knight of St. George, Fisherman, Voltigcur, andUlink
Bonny. The list also gives five great winners from
young horaes and old mare3, viz., Charles the Twelfth,
Cotherstone, Lnnercost, Nutwith, find Virago. To
brooders of half brod, also,' these, statistics mnv bo inte
resting, as with a littlo modification on account of the
difference of treatment, diet, etc., they would bo oqually
applicable to tho brooding of horses for the ilold and
rpad.— Yours, otc, ' . A. B.
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