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A. B. HANCOCKS OBSERVATIONS ON BREEDING PARIS, Ky., December 20. The thoroughbred horse proved his worth in war as well as in peace, while every good race horse in every country is descendeil in male line from one of eight or nine stallions that were foaled forty to fifty years ago, according to Arthur B. Hancock, prominent breeder and a director of the Thoroughbred Horse Association of America. Mr. Hancock made a trip to England for the purpose of studying the English breeding methods, especially the race course test, which is used to determine horses of spirit, courage, strength and endurance. "In these tests," said Mr. Hancock, "horses are run over various distances to find out which are swift, strong, game, true and sound. These are then used for breeding purposes and it is a significant fact that of all the breeds in early days only three have come down to the present in unbroken male descent. The trotter of today got his greatest strength and speed from a thoroughbred descendant of Darley Arabian. "During the last year there have been held two endurance tests of 300 miles each in all kinds of weather and over all kinds of roads under heavy weights to determine the type and breed of horse most suitable for the army," It is also pointed by Mr. Hancock that a large per cent of the female lines have disappeared or are gradually passing out and that most of todays high-class horses are descended from one of some twelve or fifteen mares that have shown the ability to transmit the desired qualities of their descendants.
