GIVE THE MAKES A CHANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 36

GIVE THE MAKES A CHANCE.

It is a fact notioed by all who have had much experience of horse breeding, writes "Milroy," that very few mares are invested with sufficient vitality to throw a good horse to any stallion that they may be mated with. There have been instances where mares have been the dominant power, no matter what her mate Vas, but they are Jew and ,far between ; therefore, horse buyers and breeders always look to the stal- .' lion to supply what Buch a large percentage r of mares lack — vitality. However, the want 'of vitality in the majority of mares is •caused by breeding every year, or because the sap has been squeezed out of them in the training stable before they started as breedera. The lessons of years should not bo forgotten by buyers. We have had I nbundant proofs of the value of mares that (were raced very little 6v not at all. and of the value of the firs! and socond foal?. The dams of Chester, Cranbrook. Carlyon, Tempe, Grand Flaneur, Acme, Chesterman, Morpeth. Navigator. Trident, Dreadnought. fVivian, Sir Hercules. Lochiel, Trenton, :ind many other famous racers and sires never raced, while the dams of Abercorn, Medallion, Projectile, Antseus, Hova, Paris. Gipsy Grand, Patron, Robinson Crusoe, Norden- , feldfc, Sir Modred, and Carbine did little or no Towmg-at all. Of course, by, going thoroughly into the subject the above lists 'could be ..swelled enormously, but I have 'dotted the above instances down entirely from /nemory. Even "the above list is sufficient to show the value -of a mare having all her natural strength in her when she ;goes to the fltu3. 'The training stable w^ «n •'excellent means of -developing embryo -weaknesses. The Druid gives us an instance • of a -good maTB "who could go fast and carry ' isst to houads witii «ase. . -'She- Trorketl for

a dozen seasons with hounds, and though neither she nor her direct progenitors, nor tho young stallion with whom she was eventually mated, ever had a splint, ourb, or side bone, her foals had as many as a horse could conveniently carry. Count Lehndorff is in favour of racing mares before breeding from them, but the English and Australian turf caledars and the stud books are against him, as is common sense. There have been instances of great turf performers being successful brood mares, but they are few, while the number of famous racers that have been abject failurea at the stud is appalling. The dam is one of the features that a yearling buyer should give the greatest consideration to, and he should regard her great turf deeds as nothing and pass her over; but he would be wise to stop at an untried mare who has been _ peacefully reared in a good paddock and js innocent of the tricks, temper, and hysterics that are .so often generated in a training stable.