HORSE BREEDING.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3024, 1 December 1891, Page 2

HORSE BREEDING.

TO THE KIJITOB. Sill,—Mr Jno, Fisher hi his able article on the above subject in The Waikat > Times, of November 28th, says :—" In selecting an Hiiiiiial to .breed from thi-re are several things that should never be lost sight of ; amongst these I think action is the most important, no matter bow good a horse may be in other respects, if he be deficient in action he is a fa'lure." In this I feel sure all horsemen, and riding men in particular will thoroughly agree with Mr Fisher, but in this country In.w seldom do we see it carried out in the show ring. Take for instance the la«t Cambridge Horse Show when in the hack thus half the entry were turned straight out of Hie ring without being moved out of h walk and barely looked nt. Stylo and action, which are the two essential points in a hack, were completely overlooked. Such judging is an insult to exhibitors and sho.vs lamentable ignorance on the part of the judges. I don't write this from spleen because my horse was the fir.-t to be t'lrnod out, for when the same ImrsojFreshu'eld) t-iok fmt piiz-3 in Auckland it was entiivly duo to his style unci action, and tho way he went up to his bit and handled his legs; in fact nctiun gave him the prize against horses that could ffire him points as t> mako and shape. This exactly bearj out Mr Fisher's jilnt.ement, but I now come to what I want, to draw his attention to— :i point which I fancy he has over-looked, viz. : Any fairly-well-bred young horse with good shoulders and his head set in right can be taught to carry himself well and 11 handle his lew : but, except with a few light-mouthed horses, this cannot be done with tho usual wiry sn.ilfle bit in common use in the colonies. With i> bit and b-idoon and light hands * horse can be marie to go tip to his bit, and his hind legs can be got under him. He soon learns to go in a collected form at what ever paco you put him to—walk, trot or canter, How few men here will take the trouble to teach .\ young horse anything. After ho is broken in lie la allowed to slouch along in any way he pleases, and as long as ho goes straight and keeps going ho can choose his own way of doing it, generally with tho reins on his neck. This loose rein and perpetual slow canter, always battering tho same fore leg, stiffens half the young horses before they are aged. Many people say they can't be bothered with "bit and bridoon," and " new chum ways," but if a man is going to breed and break in horses "to pay," and to do this, as Mr Fisher says, " they must have action and style"; he must see that his young horses are more carefully ridden and taught to walk, trot and canter. How often do you see a man here trot, unless he has something that can go about fourteen miles an hour, and then he generally keeps him at it till his legs give way. I maintain that ft young horse should never be allowed to trot until he can walk freely, and certainly should not canter until he can ttot; not necessarily fast, but going well within himself and up to his bit, and with his head in the right place—not poked out in front of him. There are no pluckier riders in the world than young New Zealanders, and thev can ".stick to anything,'" but the careless way in which many of them ride valuable young horses does much to spoil their action, or rather by riding them carelessly they fail to develope their action. Any hunting man knows the value of a quick lmndy horse that can get his hind legs under him and jump at a moment's notice in and out of a narrow crowded lane. This sort of horse ie seldom or never ridden in a snaflle and he has invariably learnt to be quick and smart from judicious handling and riding. With the good blood Hies now in Wnikato and so many likely looking half-bred mares we ought n be able to produce as many good hacks :nid hunt?™ as there is a deniaud for, but as a rule (ol course there are exceptions) you cannot, bieed "stylo and action," it must be taught, You might as well try and breed .soldiers already drilled.—Yours truly, 11. Bullock-Wkbstek.