95 



I took a mare called Too Soon, a noted animal as a brood 

 mare, and when I got her Dr. Warfield, of Kentucky, added 

 a footnote to the bill of sale in which he said he believed the 

 mare to be barren. I had looked her over and had come to 

 the conclusion that she was not barren, but that the grooms 

 who had managed her did not understand her. She was 

 timid, and while she would accept any stallion at any time, 

 she always went to him scared and full of nervousness. 



Under my care she passed another year, and then she 

 was bred to a stallion. I saw that he was well broken and 

 watched the operation. I saw that she was not frightened 

 and that she was not injured by the stallion. The result was 

 that she produced a foal, and the next year she did the 

 same. Never after that did she fail, and some of her prod- 

 uce made great reputations as race horses ; for instance, 

 Garrett Davis, Jim Watson and Calleroo, all of whom came 

 afterward. 



Another point that must be given consideration is the 

 care of the mare after she has caught. She should not be 

 kept in the quarters where she was formerly if there are 

 other horses around. The groom should take her at least 

 half a mile away, where there will not be the slightest odor 

 of the operation through which she has just passed. She 

 must be perfectly isolated. It is better not to let her see a 

 horse or even a gelding, for it will make her more passionate 

 than she was at the time in question. This state must now 

 be gotten rid of, for the purpose has been accomplished and 

 she is with foal. At the end of three days she will be her- 

 self again, and the result is that the foal she brings forth is 

 sturdy and robust. 



This is a matter that is not generally taken into consid- 

 eration. Hundreds of foals have been lost or their value 

 impaired by the groom in charge of the mare not knowing 

 exactly what he should do. The mare ought to then receive 

 the very best attention. This thing of scaring her, keeping 

 her in the company of other horses during her pregnancy, 

 and disregarding her comfort, may cause her to slink and 

 perhaps injure her ability as a brood mare. One season of 

 carelessness may ruin her for all time. Therefore, when a 

 man pays from $50 to $250 for a stallion's services, he may 



