BREEDING, 43 



.hoi-se cover such an infinity of mares, as not 

 uncommonly terminates in the irretrievable 

 loss of his eyes, but the inevitable loss of his 

 reputation also as ^* a certain foal-getter ;" 

 for the great number of mares covered by him 

 without produce brings his character the fol- 

 lowing season into disrepute, should even the 

 state of his bodily strength, constitution, or 

 chance, preserve his eyes from the great 

 probability of annihilation : this remark ap- 

 pertaining only to the owners of stallions 

 who attend the markets of different towns 

 every day in the week during the whole sea- 

 son, exclusive of the additional portion of 

 business in their own neighbourhood on the 

 Sunday morning. 



Of these there are so great a number, and 

 in their performance so genera! a failure, that 

 it is absolutely wonderful how so many can 

 become dupes to the customary infatuation 

 of leading a mare to any ma>ket town, to be 

 served by a horse who is continually cover- 

 ing from four or five, to eight or ten mares 

 in every twenty-four hours, during the sea- 

 son ; With the additional consideration, that 

 these extra exertions are most frequently 



