PASTURES INJURED BY HORSES 335 



that their deterioration has been due to the overgraz- 

 ing of the land whereon the dams and young stock were 

 pastured overgrazing, or 'staling,' o*f the land reacting 

 unfavorably on the horses; and that soundness, bone, 

 muscle and stamina depend very largely on the treatment 

 of the dams and young animals which, above all things, 

 need fresh and untainted grazing." 



I should be glad if every horseman would read the 

 whole of Sir Walter's thought-arousing little book. Here 

 are some of the thoughts : In nature horses graze wide 

 and are ever changing their grazing ground. In order 

 to be kept in their full health and vigor they 'still require 

 to be shifted from pasture to pasture, and their thrift 

 is immensely increased if they are allowed to run where 

 no horses ran the preceding year. Mention is made of 

 customs in Norfolk where one horse and no more is- al- 

 lowed to graze over 6 acres. Keeping mares in re- 

 stricted pastures, even with good feeding in addition, 

 commonly results in weak foals or disorders of one sort 

 or another. That elusive but very real thing called 

 "quality" is developed on new pastures or on pastures 

 where but few horses run, and the range is very wide. 

 After observing that these pastures produced fine animals 

 men have often stocked them more heavily with greater 

 numbers of horses and have been amazed to see that they 

 did not again reproduce animals of like remarkable parts 

 and qualities. To quote again, "From the time of her 

 conception she (the mare) should be allowed to run in 

 fresh, untainted pastures; if in pastures where horses 

 have not been for the last three years, all the better. 

 After foaling the same policy should be adopted towards 



