Project Gutenberg 2004-05-01 Public domain in the USA. 214 Osmer, William Osmer, W. (William) A Dissertation on Horses Wherein It is Demonstrated, by Matters of Fact, as Well as from the Principles of Philosophy, That Innate Qualities Do Not Exist, and That the Excellence of This Animal is Altogether Mechanical and Not in the Blood Produced by Holly Ingraham "A Dissertation on Horses" by William Osmer is a scientific publication written in the mid-18th century. This work delves into horse breeding and challenges the prevailing beliefs of the time regarding the significance of bloodlines in determining the excellence of horses. Osmer argues that the quality of horses is primarily mechanical, based on their physical conformation rather than inherited blood traits. In this dissertation, Osmer systematically critiques the superstitions surrounding horse breeding in England, particularly the undue emphasis on bloodlines. He provides historical context, including examples from antiquity and the practices of nomadic tribes, to underline his points. Through careful observation and anatomical principles, he claims that the success of a horse in racing stems from its physical structure—such as proportion and symmetry—rather than its pedigree. His discussions touch on various notable horses and breeding practices of both domestic and foreign origins, ultimately advocating for a more rational approach to breeding based on physical attributes rather than an unfounded belief in "innate qualities." Osmer's work is a call for breeders to rely on observation and understanding of horse mechanics to produce superior racers. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 40.0 (College-level). Difficult to read. en Horses Horse breeds -- England Horses -- Breeding SF Text Zoology Browsing: Nature/Gardening/Animals Browsing: Science - General 76412 2025-06-03T05:26:35.290075 text/html 71140 2012-08-15T09:39:24 text/html; charset=us-ascii 26093 2012-08-15T09:39:46 text/html; charset=us-ascii application/zip 101350 2025-06-03T05:26:40.794076 application/epub+zip 100472 2025-06-03T05:26:38.334058 application/epub+zip 93217 2025-06-03T05:26:37.108042 application/epub+zip 216567 2025-06-03T05:26:42.586065 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 209019 2025-06-03T05:26:40.066067 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 92656 2022-09-03T08:30:57.367204 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 68703 2025-06-03T05:26:35.005066 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 68430 2012-08-15T09:38:52 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 25116 2012-08-15T09:39:46 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 18783 2025-06-03T05:26:42.722040 application/rdf+xml 14734 2025-06-03T05:26:37.666058 image/jpeg 4031 2025-06-03T05:26:37.386058 image/jpeg 99367 2025-06-03T05:26:35.298075 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog