Page:Hints to Horse-keepers.djvu/57

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
GENERAL RULES.
49

there cannot be a doubt but that, in course of two or three generations, at farthest, an inch, or perhaps even a couple of inches, might be added to the stature of the Canadians, without deteriorating.—we should rather say while improving upon—their original merits of bone and sinew, and amending the more defective points of their shape. Apart from their natural good qualities as farming horses, teamsters and animals of moderately quick draft, the Canadians, with the single exception of the Percheron Normans, which are,—after all is said, nothing but Canadians in their best form,—are the only horses of cold blood from which we believe it advisable to breed on both sides; that is, both from the stallions and mares; either each to each, for the maintenance of their own blood, or each to others, for the improvement of various foreign strains. By carefully breeding Canadian mares to Canadian stallions according to the directions above stated, or still more to imported Normans, an improved Canadian can be produced, taller, more shapely, and perhaps lighter in the neck and shoulders, and speedier. This will be, of course, a better animal both for work and for breeding than the present race. By breeding the present Canadian mare, or still better, improved progeny, to well-selected thorough-bred horses, a very good roadster and highly improved light carriage-horse will be the result; and by breeding the female offspring of this cross again to the thorough-bred, of sufficient bone and size, we do not doubt that the finest saddle-horses, phaëton horses or light carriage horses in the world can be produced, nearly of the same style as the Morgans, but superior to what the Morgans ever were, in their best day.

The male offspring of all crosses or half-breeds—we do not include imported Norman into Canadian in the cate-

3